Chapter 23

The next morning.

I took Roche with me to the place Katarina had designated.

Katarina came first and waited for me. Despite her calm demeanor, I could sense her inner tension, unease, and discontent subtly emanating.

Was her discontent directed at me?

From what I had heard from Roche yesterday, I doubted it.

“The manager of the Crestwell Grand Theater came to see her.”

Did I do something wrong by contacting Katarina?

Well, no matter how fast they moved, the last time they would have been able to contact Katarina would have been after midnight. Typically, visiting at that hour would be quite an inconvenience.

I raised my hand slightly in a gesture of invitation, and Katarina sprang to her feet and bowed to me.

“Please, have a seat, Miss Blanchette.”

I leisurely sat down across from her.

Roche stood at my back like a guard dog. The way he stiffened his innocent-looking face suited him just fine.

As we sat down at the table, I could finally understand what might have caused Katarina’s displeasure.

The morning paper was spread out on the white ivory table.

One entire page was filled with articles about me and Oscar. Under a large black-and-white illustration of both of us, the headline read:

《Countess Marlena ‘Balthus’ challenges her ex-husband’s business—what are the prospects?》

Seeing my gaze fixed on the newspaper, Katarina skipped the usual greeting and asked me straight up.

“I assume the Countess has read it?”

“Of course I have.”

The hotel I’m staying at offers newspapers delivered to your room every morning. There are three newspapers delivered in total.

I don’t have much time, so I skim them quickly, but all three are about the new face of the Luces Club, Countess Balthus, and her new business.

I smirked when I saw my face drawn so large.

I hadn’t expected them to be so dismissive of me when I came to visit them, and then to devote so much space to me as soon as I was revealed as a member of the Luces Club.

I’m sure he’s spent a fortune trying to shut me down before now……. Well, it’s all for naught.

The media companies smelled money and broke their implicit promise to Oscar like a ghost.

The prediction that Oscar would have wasted money made me feel good. Surely, it would have blown up in his face.

Then, a startled voice was heard from the other side.

“Are you laughing now? If you’ve read it, you must know what it’s about.”

“I know, it’s a pessimistic article, isn’t it?”

The article was almost cursing, pretending to analyze the situation objectively.

It wasn’t just this newspaper. Other papers had published articles that felt the same way.

I didn’t expect them to write anything positive anyway. Just being mentioned in the newspapers at this point was something to be grateful for.

Katarina pursed her delicate lips, as if she didn’t like my seemingly nonchalant attitude.

“The Crestwell Grand Theater promised me a tribute play to Jacob Hennessy and a spectacular comeback, and they’re offering me 30% of the ticket sales.”

Indeed, it was a condition that Crestwell Grand Theatre could offer as they monopolized the theater business in the capital.

I didn’t say anything and just looked at Katarina intently.

Katarina looked away, unable to make eye contact with me, as if she hadn’t expected this silence. I think she expected me to panic and tell her to leave.

I, on the other hand, kept my gaze fixed on her eyes.

“So, Miss Blanchette, do you wish to return to the Crestwell Grand Theater because you have been offered a good deal?”

There was no answer.

A light smile crossed my face. Katarina does not want to return to Oscar’s arms.

She dislikes him terribly, as she conveyed to me yesterday through Roche.

I spoke softly, as if to soothe her.

“You’ve received such good conditions, Miss Blanchette, but your expression doesn’t seem too pleased. Why is that?”

As soon as the words left my mouth, Katarina looked at me with a tearful face.

“I hate that man.”

“I feel the same way.”

“I’m angrier because he tried to hold me back. Am I supposed to come and go as that Oscar Crestwell wishes? Am I supposed to dance to his tune?”

Hmm, it’s clear how Oscar managed to manipulate this proud prima donna.

I simply listened to Katarina’s words without saying anything.

“They demoted and sent them out at will, but now they tell me to come back because someone else is running the theater business. What’s this? How dare they ridicule me for this?”

Katarina’s shoulders shook as she lost her temper.

She thought she might burst into tears, but her high pride did not allow her to cry in front of others, so she tightened her eyebrows and swallowed her tears.

“I want to take revenge for this humiliation.”

Katarina’s charming hazel eyes took on a fierce look.

“I want to destroy him.”

She spread out the newspaper and then turned it towards me before placing it down. The headlines, which had been upside down, were now readable.

Katarina’s fingertips moved to Oscar’s face in the illustration.

“Can you do that? Countess, can you step on this unfortunate face? Can you make him regret making fun of me?”

I gently placed my hand over Katrina’s hand, which was resting on the newspaper.

“Of course. I can.”

“……How?”

Katarina, torn between wanting to come to me due to her dislike of Oscar, still wasn’t sure if that choice was the right one.

Katarina is like me.

She’s proud and confident in what she does.

So I knew well what she wanted to hear.

“Miss Blanchette is going to help me step on the Duke of Crestwell. With Miss Blanchette on my side, of course I can do it.”

Katarina wants to be recognized for her abilities and her worth.

“…….”

A single domino has been pushed, and in an instant, Katarina crumbles.

Unable to hide the burning in her eyes, she dropped her head onto the table.

I turned my head to look back at Roche, who stood faithfully behind me, my hand still on top of Katarina’s.

Roche seemed to have something he wanted to say. He gestured as if to suggest he should speak up, then shook his head again. His mouth was closed a little more firmly than naturally.

He looked more than a little unhappy with the situation.

I was puzzled.

The negotiation with Katrina seemed to have ended perfectly, yet why was Roshe being hesitant and not smiling?

* * *
I decided to send Katarina the detailed contract and walked back to the hotel.

I glanced back at Roche, who was walking half a step behind me, and gave him a small smile.

“Roche.”

“Yes, Countess.”

“Did you happen to catch a glimpse of my ex-husband while I was talking to Katarina?”

Roche fluttered his lashes.

“No.”

“Really? Because you didn’t look very happy.”

Roche shut up immediately. He didn’t deny it, so something must have bothered him.

But what could Roche be upset about, other than seeing Oscar?

“Do you not like Katarina, by any chance?”

“No, not really.”

I was relieved to hear that.

Even if Roche didn’t like Katarina, she couldn’t give her up.

“Good, then.”

However, as soon as I said that, Roche’s expression darkened again.

I narrowed my eyes as we entered the hotel lobby.

“You don’t like Katarina, do you?”

“No.”

Stepping into the elevator to our room, I crossed my arms and glared at Roche.

“You don’t like that Katarina and I don’t get along, do you?”

“It’s not that either…”

“Then?”

Roche was silent for a long moment. I couldn’t tell if he didn’t want to talk or if he was ashamed.

Should I not push him too hard? got off the elevator without prodding him further.

Roche’s room was right next to mine, and he and I walked down the hallway side by side for a short time.

Stepping on the red carpet, I reached the room in front of me and smiled as I handed Roche his key.

“I’ll call you when I need you, then.”

As I was about to open the door and enter the room, I felt a slight resistance. Roche was holding onto my clothes without my realizing it.

When I turned to see if he had anything to say, his face was slightly flushed.

He whispered in a low voice.

“I think I can be more…… helpful than Miss Blanchette.”

……What?

I blinked in confusion, not understanding what he meant.

Then Roche emphasized it once more.

“I can help you more than Miss Blanchette.”