Chapter 16

Oscar, who was crossing through Piazza San Marco, was exuding a chill. It was a sight that made the hearts of many ladies flutter.

But despite his dashing exterior, his mind was filled with dark thoughts.

Oscar, who had asked his steward to find out Marlena’s whereabouts, was secretly pleased at the thought of slightly intimidating his former wife to the point where she would be as nervous as a cat.

He had planned to vent his frustration a little during the process of taking her away. He thought it might improve his mood.

There was something strangely exhilarating about the thought of Marlena crying and sobbing.

But all those plans were thwarted. It was because of a vague and suspicious young man. Where did such a nuisance come from?

‘If I could only get the quill and mobilize the Red Crow’s minions…….’

This unfortunate assumption is nothing more than a delusion at this point. He was still a member of the Red Crow’s subordinate organization.

Oscar frowned and walked away.

He’d heard from his steward that Marlena had been attacked by thugs on the streets of Eveleth.

She had been riding in a Redron’s carriage, but the security officer had arrived shortly afterward, and the situation was under control.

According to the investigation by the security officer, Marlena had promised to visit the security station the next morning for an interrogation.

So Oscar also made time to visit the security station.

At the very least, he should have gotten what he came for, but he wasted his time and ruined the whole thing.

Oscar was more sensitive to the feeling of wasting time than anyone else. He couldn’t help but feel irritable.

This was all because of his steward.

He’d told him to be as thorough as he could about Marlena’s affairs, but somehow he hadn’t figured out that she’d hired a new bodyguard on such short notice.

“I really need to give him a good scolding.”

Verbal reprimands don’t seem to be getting through to him these days. He realized he would have to resort to other physical means.

Reminiscing about the unpleasant aftermath, Oscar entered the Crestwell Theater.

He had seven press appointments today. 

On days like this, he should have been in a good mood, sitting in front of the table… But…

Just in case his suppressed frustration showed, Oscar felt a little impatient.

Before the first newspaper arrived at the theater, Oscar checked the condition of the reception room and called Nina Ford.

With her shiny golden hair and fairy-like figure, Nina had already finished setting up her appearance flawlessly since morning.

But Oscar looked at her face with disapproval.

“Why did you put on such heavy makeup? You could have used a spoon to remove some of it. Today is not about stage lighting. Don’t you have the brains to think about that?”

The difference in thickness between the makeup on stage and off-stage was usually overlooked, but it bothered him greatly today.

Nina bowed immediately.

“I-I’m sorry, Your Grace! If you give me 15 minutes, I’ll remove it and reapply it right away.”

Her response satisfied Oscar quite well. Yes, this is the kind of attitude an actor should have.

Oscar thought of the former prima donna, Katharina Blanchette. She was so stiff.

It was part of the prima donna’s job to sing and dance whenever Oscar met with guests, but she refused to do so.

“The only time I dance and sing is in front of a ticketed audience, Your Grace.”

Oscar had told her sternly.

“Your stupid beliefs will now prevent you from dancing and singing in front of a paying audience.”

Oscar immediately demoted Katharina to the chorus, pushing Nina Ford, who had always been in second place in Katharina’s position.

Unable to take the humiliation, Katharina eventually quit acting.

With Katharina’s downfall as an example, actors nowadays have a satisfying sense of who they need to look good for.

Nina, in particular, is completely different from Katharina. She knew when to bow, and he loved how she cooperated like a tongue-in-cheek.

Yeah, he’s the one who gives her money, this is the least she can do for him.

Feeling slightly better at Nina’s immediate willingness to correct her mistake, Oscar waved his hand.

“Never mind. Just go inside and wait.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

Nina thanked him stiffly and then hurried into the reception room. Nina would have waited like a doll, barely moving.

Oscar escorted the journalists to the front of the theater. As they waited at the entrance, two reporters from the Eveleth Daily arrived at the Crestwell Grand Theater.

One was a veteran journalist Oscar knew, Ruben, and the other seemed to be a rookie. Oscar greeted them both with a very gentlemanly and friendly attitude, alternating between them. His modest gestures seemed devoid of any formalities.

“Thank you for coming so early.”

“Oh, well, I was invited by the Duke of Crestwell. Even at 5 in the morning, I would have come.”

“Haha, well. Let’s go upstairs.”

The hallway to the reception room was already filled with the beautiful harmony of Nina’s voice and the violin.

Oscar opened the door to the reception room. He ignored Nina as if she were a mere painting or sculpture, and focused only on the journalists, ushering them to their seats.

However, the journalists kept glancing at Nina, the prima donna of the Crestwell Theatre. Oscar inwardly smirked at their reactions.

These journalists had hit a windfall today: they’d have to pay a fortune for tickets to see Nina this close.

A light conversation flowed to ease the atmosphere. When tensions had somewhat eased, Oscar handed a box of snacks to the two journalists.

Ruben’s face lit up when he realized what was inside. Edward, the rookie journalist, was still clueless.

“Your Grace, what is this?”

Edward gave him an incomprehensible look. The sweets, though luxuriously wrapped, were hardly a gift to be celebrated.

Oscar opened his mouth, secretly laughing at Edward.

“I have a favor to ask of the Eveleth Daily.”

“Oh, yes, indeed, and what is the occasion?”

“I have a new play that came out recently, and it’s a very good story.”

“Oh, that’s amazing! Is it another work by Jacob Hennessy?”

“Yes. But when I read the script, the image of the male lead came vividly to mind… but we don’t have a suitable person for the role.”

“Oh, I see…”

Ruben looked overly dismayed, giving a very exaggerated reaction. It seemed somewhat sycophantic.

His attitude seemed alien to Edward, who cringed and looked back and forth between him, Oscar, and Nina.

Oscar had seen many rookie journalists fawn like this before. Well, now they are all absorbed into Oscar’s sphere of influence.

“I need a new face, a specific image, to find someone. Tall, violet eyes, well-groomed, strikingly handsome, especially the violet eyes.”

“That sounds challenging.”

“Well, he is going to be the new face of the Crestwell Theater, so I might as well find a real gem.”

“You have a point.”

Ruben smiled.

Oscar decided that was enough and leaned back slightly against the couch. A relaxed, languid smile tugged at his lips.

This was a pretty good excuse.

“Don’t write about it. I want to wow the crowd on opening night.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. You mean, use our connections to find someone suitable?”

“Yes. If you find someone suitable, I’ll make sure to reward you generously.”

“Oh, it’s not about the reward. It’s not something we expect.”

While speaking nonsense, Ruben’s face beamed.

Oscar listened to Nina sing in silence for a moment, thinking.

At this point, he’d gotten the story about Adam’s work done. Now all he had to do was periodically peck at the reporters and turn them over to his personal staff.

But it was a waste to send the reporters away like this. Marlena, that woman, continued to be a thorn in his throat.

After a few moments of silence, Oscar finally spoke up.

“Oh, and one more thing. I’m getting a divorce.”

As Ruben, who had been smiling and sipping juice, heard this, the juice spilled out of his mouth.

“A d-divorce?”

Ruben screamed in surprise.

Even Nina, who had been immersed in song and dance like a human music box, also seemed taken aback by Oscar’s words, as her pitch momentarily faltered.