Chapter 47

A middle-aged man with a stiff back.

He wore his trademark one-eyed glasses and stood in line through the bustling crowd.

“The Duke of Lopez!”

His whole body seemed to have lost its vitality, and his hands were trembling.

The Duke of Lopez turned at the sound of Oscar’s voice, and his face lit up with delight.

“Oh, isn’t it Duke Crestwell? What brings you here?”

“What brings Duke Lopez here, I wonder?”

“Heh, heh, I got an invitation to the premiere.”

What an old raccoon!

Oscar had also sent an invitation to the Duke of Lopez.

Considering Duke Lopez’s position in the world of criticism and the Luces Club, it was only natural.

He’s been connected to the Creedwell Grand Theater since his father’s time, so of course he’d go there.

But unexpectedly, Balthus Theatre?

It couldn’t happen without any under-the-table dealings.

At least, that’s what Oscar thought.

“I believe we also sent you an invitation to …….”

Oscar put on his best human smile.

The Duke of Lopez returned an equally warm expression.

“Heh heh, I also got tickets to the premiere at the Crestwell Grand Theater. I had a lot of trouble deciding where to go.”

If he had deliberated so much, why choose the Balthus Theatre in the end?

Oscar could barely contain his smile. But he couldn’t help clenching his teeth. A vein popped out near his jawline.

“As always…… I was looking forward to the Duke of Lopez’s review that will come out after our premiere. I’m disappointed and jealous.”

The intention was to be a little snarky, but his voice came out choked and shaky through clenched molars.

Oscar sent him an accusing glare.

‘How could you do this to me?’

Kieran and the Duke of Lopez had been quite close, hadn’t they?

‘This is a betrayal for my father.’

But even with Oscar’s resentful look, Duke Lopez didn’t flinch.

There was no wavering or remorse in his face.

His eyes, behind his one-eyed glasses, were almost cold.

“Heh, heh, I’m sorry, Duke Crestwell.”

The words were apologetic, but not sincere.

“But please understand. It’s a friend’s comeback, and I can’t help but be glad to see him.”

Oscar froze for a moment at the dry pat on his shoulder.

A friend?

His head felt numb.

He had no idea who the Duke of Lopez was referring to.

Several people had been released from the Crestwell Grand Theater and joined the Balthus Theater.

Who among them could be Duke Lopez’s friend?

‘What a fool!’

Oscar cursed inwardly at this unknown friend of the Duke of Lopez.

‘When you saw yourself on the termination list, you should have come to me and told me you were a friend of the Duke of Lopez!’

He wouldn’t have fired him, that’s for sure!

As Oscar stood stunned, the Duke of Lopez tapped him roughly on the shoulder once more and walked away.

Recovering his senses, Oscar quickly spoke to the Duke of Lopez’s back.

“Still, I trust that you will write your review objectively and without personal feelings, and that you will be present at our theater during the official opening…….”

“Yes, I will do that, ……and give me a stamp book.”

The Duke of Lopez interrupted Oscar.

There was a strange chill in the air behind him, unlike before.

Oscar couldn’t help but squeeze his eyes shut as he realized why.

He needed to sternly reprimand the manager when he returned to the theater.

How dare he dismiss someone so close to the Duke of Lopez without checking.

He can’t even get Katarina Blanchette to renew her contract, and he can’t decide who’s important and who’s not…….

It was driving him insane.

‘If that bastard acts like this one more time, I’ll have to cut him off. I’ll have to show him I won’t tolerate this kind of nonsense.’

While Oscar’s thoughts were racing, the Duke of Lopez was peacefully handed a stamp book.

The friendly voice of the clerk handing out the stamp book was annoying.

“Here you go. Show this stamp at your next viewing and you will receive a 10% discount on your ticket. This is a repeat viewing offer…….”

Why the hell is he getting a stamp book, does this mean he’s coming back to see the movie again?

He couldn’t hold back the twisting feeling in his stomach any longer.

Although he had visited the Baltus Theatre to laugh it off, he was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

‘D*mn you, Marlena Balthus!’

What a cowardly maneuver!

After the divorce, Marlena was always involved in something that made his blood boil.

So did his inability to see things rationally.

In fact, Marlena didn’t do any “cowardly” tricks.

She simply created a play for an audience that the Crestwell Grand Theater was not targeting, and she dutifully staffed it with the people the Crestwell Grand Theater had released.

But when the outcome turned unfavorable for Oscar, he couldn’t help but think that Marlena used some sort of trickery.

‘How dare she flirt with a man she doesn’t even know where he came from!’

Meanwhile, the thought of Roche made his head spin again.

Trying to control his expression, Oscar grabbed a nearby receptionist and asked.

“Where is Countess Balthus?”

“Oh, she’s probably in the actors’ waiting room.”

The attendants smiled gently and explained.

As a short-term hired hand, he didn’t know the exact nature of Marlena and Oscar’s relationship. And even if he did, he wasn’t in a position to lie to him or stop him at will.

The layout of each theater was there.

The door to the hallway lined with actors’ waiting rooms must be hidden behind a moderately large structure.

Oscar looked around and found the door.

He tried to open it immediately.

But he was blocked.

By that annoying person.

“……you.”

Roche looked at Oscar with a calm face as he growled.

“The Countess specifically instructed not to let anyone in,”

Again.

The young man was playing gatekeeper, making sure Oscar didn’t invade Marlena’s space.

All in the name of being Marlena’s bodyguard.

At times like this, his mind was in chaos.

He couldn’t tell which was the truth between the Marlena who used to cling to him desperately before the change and the indifferent Marlena now.

Of course, Marlena didn’t care a hair’s breadth for Oscar, but he wanted to deny it.

“I have something to check with the Countess. You, you’ve blocked me like this before, haven’t you?”

With a strained voice, he managed to assert his authority.

Although it didn’t work on Roche at all. He couldn’t understand why this lower-class man was so stubborn.

“Apologies, my lord. If you arrange an appointment through your steward in advance, the Countess will probably meet with you then.”

If someone unfamiliar with upper-class society was in Oscar’s position, they would usually give in to the momentum and back down. Oscar was used to brazenly pushing his way in.

But Roche never made that mistake with Oscar.

He was already bothered by this guy, so he tried to track him down, but he couldn’t find any information. Until he suddenly appeared as Marlena’s bodyguard, he had never shown any noticeable behavior anywhere.

But how.

Oscar glared at Roche like he was going to kill him.

Or crush him.

He had royal blood in his veins. Technically, his authority was higher than Marlena’s.

His fingertips twitched at the intense temptation.

But Oscar quickly regained his composure.

There were still a lot of people. There must be reporters mixed in with the crowd. Although Oscar had built good relationships with various media outlets, …

His mind raced.

Most of the people here are here because they enjoyed Marlena’s play, which means they’re in her favor.

If he made a big fuss in a place like this, the image he’d built up might not be enough to save him. His dignity would be tarnished.

‘Should I back down now?’

‘No, why do I have to fret so much in the first place? He didn’t understand. She used to be the one clinging to him…

That was the harmonious picture between Oscar and Marlena.

Oscar’s smile twitched at the corners of his mouth.

“…Fine.”

He turned away without another word.

He had to get back to the Crestwell Grand Theater quickly anyway. If he rushed now, he might be able to chat with the attendees of the preview and manage his connections.

After watching Oscar retreating for a while, Roche balled his fists and knocked lightly on the door.

Marlena, who had been listening to the conversation just beyond the door, poked her head out.

Marlena and Roche’s eyes met.

They both laughed softly at the same time.