Chapter 4 – The Skill Of Making A Move (Part 2)

Lorraine chattered non-stop on the way back to their seats, her excitement evident in her voice. She held the signed paper up in the air and murmured.

“This isn’t a dream, right…? I even got an autograph…!”

“If it feels like a dream, I can pinch you.”

Ignoring his response, she continued to murmur in a daze.

“I’m glad I came. This is amazing.”

“You look the happiest I’ve ever seen you.”

Lorraine looked at him as if he were stating the obvious and said,

“If you, Your Grace, weren’t so difficult, I’d probably look this happy all the time…. It’s really a shame, isn’t it?”

She didn’t look the least bit regretful.

Edwin, who regretted bringing it up and found himself at a loss for words, mischievously snatched the signed paper from her hand.

“Hey…!”

Caught off guard, Lorraine stared at him in disbelief.

“Confiscated.”

Edwin replied in a mischievous voice, using his long legs to stride away from her.

“…Are you a child…?”

Lorraine stood there, dumbfounded, watching his retreating figure. After walking a bit, Edwin glanced back and asked,

“Aren’t you coming?”

“…Give me back the autograph.”

Lorraine extended her hand firmly. Edwin smiled and shook his head.

“I’ll give it to you later.”

He cunningly placed the signed paper securely in his jacket, out of her reach.

Lorraine let out a hollow laugh at the sight.

“Wow….”

Despite her hostile glare, he nonchalantly checked his pocket watch.

“The play is about to start… How about you come quickly and get it over with.”

Lorraine’s gaze naturally shifted to the clock hanging in the lounge. As he said, there were less than ten minutes until the curtain rose.

“When will you give it back?”

When Lorraine asked, he shrugged leisurely.

“Who knows…. We’ll see.”

“Wow….”

Despite her exasperation, Edwin remained unperturbed and asked,

“Aren’t you coming?”

“…….”

“Let’s think about it after the play. Is that okay?”

“…You’re shameless.”

She muttered with a face full of dissatisfaction.

But there was no other choice. Since she was the one absolutely at a disadvantage with Alethea’s signature as collateral, Lorraine followed Edwin and said.

“Give it to me after the play.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Edwin shrugged. Although the situation was infuriating, Lorraine took a deep breath to calm herself.

‘Hold it in, you shouldn’t hit people.’

Clinging to the last thread of her sanity, she asked,

“There’s nothing to think about. It’s mine….”

“The one who has it owns it.”

In the end, her fragile composure snapped.

“Did you eat something wrong? Why are you acting like this?”

His response was outrageous.

“It’s fun.”

With just one word, he dismissed the entire situation.

Thinking back to what had happened a few minutes ago, she felt her blood pressure rising again. Lorraine pressed her temples, which were starting to throb.

“Enjoy the show.”

The attendant, who had placed some finger foods and non-alcoholic champagne, bowed.

As the door closed, they were left alone in the box seats. Lorraine glanced around. The packed audience below indicated the play’s popularity.

Some of the other box seats were also occupied, but the drawn curtains suggested they weren’t there for the play.

As she scanned the box seats, Lorraine’s brows furrowed slightly.

“Your Grace, look over there.”

Lorraine pointed with her chin to where Kendrick’s father, one of the four grand dukes, was seated.

“It’s the same today.”

As she said, a young woman, seemingly Lorraine’s age, was nestled in his arms.

“Another new one. His wife must be very busy.”

She muttered cynically, fiddling with the edge of the program. Edwin responded indifferently as usual.

“It’s hard to regulate the entire red-light district. You know that.”

Lorraine had already clashed with Edwin several times on this topic.

“Yes, yes. It’s all entangled in various ways. I know it well.”

Her sarcastic tone made Edwin’s eyebrow twitch. The atmosphere instantly grew tense, but Lorraine nonchalantly shrugged.

“What can you do? Understanding is a separate matter.”

Lorraine replied coolly and fixed her gaze on the busy stage. Edwin sighed and called her name.

“Lorraine Wiig.”

“Yes, yes. The curtain is rising, Your Grace.”

Unfortunately, her firmness blocked him.

***

Standing under the spotlight, Alethea was dressed entirely in red from head to toe, but she couldn’t hide her gauntness.

“I am not a criminal.”

Her eyes glinted with madness as she spoke, not hiding the rasp in her voice.

The audience held their breath.

Alethea’s role was Isabellela Donnan, a historical figure whose evaluations varied greatly among historians.

Until a few years ago, people speculated that Isabellela had assassinated the emperor because she and Nathan had shared a drink and died together.

Recently, historical interpretations suggested they had committed double suicide, leading to various stories.

This play, starting from her trial in the divine court after her death, was one such story.

“Defendant Isabellela Donnan, do you still not admit to the charge of assassinating the emperor?”

The judge asked in a stern voice.

Alethea knelt. The sound of her knees hitting the floor was quite loud.

“I am innocent. Who would try to kill their lord?”

Her green eyes, which had been glinting with madness, slowly filled with tears.

Isabellela Donnan, the character Alethea portrayed, was the advisor and lover of the founding emperor. At the same time, she was a criminal who disgracefully met her end under the accusation of assassinating the emperor.

“Objection! Your Honor, the defendant is clearly deceiving us despite the clear evidence.”

At the prosecutor’s rebuttal, her tear-filled green eyes turned sharply towards him.

“I was promised marriage to His Majesty. Who would kill their betrothed… sob….”

Tears streamed down her green eyes. As her tears turned into sobs, the audience below began to sniffle.

Watching the play indifferently, Lorraine leaned over and whispered quietly.

“By the way, that promise of marriage… Is it true?”

“It’s up to interpretation.”

Contrary to her expectations, his answer was elusive. Lorraine frowned and looked at Edwin.

“Doesn’t the Duncan family have historical records passed down?”

“History is always the record of the victors. It gets edited depending on who won.”

‘Who wanted to hear that?’

Lorraine grumbled loudly enough for him to hear, but Edwin’s gaze remained fixed on the stage. After a moment of watching his profile, she asked in a more secretive voice, as if she had just remembered something.

“In that case….”

Finally, Edwin’s gaze shifted to her.

“What now?”

His golden eyes were full of annoyance, but Lorraine didn’t mind and asked,

“…Your Grace, what would you do if you were in such a situation?”

“What?”

Perhaps because of the shadows, Edwin’s face looked even more dynamic.

“If you were in a situation where you were killed by your lover, how would you react? Could you understand?”

Her blue eyes sparkled with mischief. Edwin stared at her face.

“Bella, make me a perfect person.”

Ulysses played the role of the founding emperor, Nathan, who was suspected of being killed by Isabellela. He was kneeling on one knee, holding Alethea’s hand.

“Stay by my side, Bella, so I can be a perfect emperor and a perfect lover.”

“I love you.”

Their happy times were fleeting. Knowing this, the audience began to sob in earnest.

“…But.”

It was then that Edwin spoke.

“Even if I understand her… others wouldn’t. It’s a matter between the two of us.”

“That’s true….”

As if they had never whispered sweet words, the two on stage shared a poisoned drink. Alethea held the blood-soaked Ulysses in her arms.

“…I’ll join you soon.”

She murmured, stroking her abdomen.

“…I love you, baby.”

Just as she was about to drink the prepared poison, the emperor’s guards burst in.

“Stop-!”

Among them were the founding heads of the four great duchies.

“Bella… how could you….”

Duke Rochester covered his mouth with his pale, bleached face.

“It was an honor to be with you all. Thank you.”

With a smile, Alethea gulped down the poison. She laid her head beside Ulysses with a beautiful smile.

As the curtain fell, the lights in the audience came on, and everyone began to give a standing ovation.

Edwin muttered cynically.

“Interpretation is subjective, but that was too contrived.”

“Well, the facts don’t matter to them.”

Lorraine, who had stood up, pointed to the audience below. They were clapping so hard their palms seemed ready to burst, tears streaming down their faces.

Since the hallway for box seat guests wasn’t crowded, they could leisurely discuss the play as they exited the theater.

“I actually watched it for Miss Doyle’s performance, but I still don’t understand the character of Isabellela.”

Lorraine shrugged with a pessimistic face.

“In what way?”

Edwin asked, and Lorraine stroked her chin, shifting her eyes.

“…In both ways. I think she failed both as an advisor and as a lover.”

After a brief hesitation, she answered firmly.

“And Nathan shouldn’t have spoken of his death in such a way.”

In the play, Nathan Laftana contracts a disease after years of mercenary life and extreme stress. He then informs his advisor, Isabellela, and orders her to take his life.

“…I have a slightly different opinion.”

Edwin, who had been quietly listening to Lorraine, replied calmly.

“…What?”

Lorraine frowned and asked, and Edwin flipped through the program he was holding.

“To him, it meant she was someone he could entrust his life to.”

“That’s quite an idealistic thing to say.”

Lorraine shrugged with a cynical face.

No answer came. The carriage had smoothly come to a stop in front of them.

“I… think his choice was disrespectful to the other person.”

“…….”

“Just saying.”

She awkwardly smiled and took Edwin’s hand as they boarded the carriage.