Chapter 50

That afternoon.

“Countess, I came from Sandro District!”

Dylan reported excitedly as he ran into my study.

“All the tickets are sold out, and they say the bakery’s sales are up over 100% from before the remodeling!”

“Really?”

“Yes! Even the bakery revenue achieved in just 2 hours is significant.”

“How about the inventory?”

“‘Pinocchio’ is sold out, and the rest of the products have gone into additional production.”

I smiled softly.

Although the open house event surely played a role, it’s still quite impressive.

Especially the bakery sales, achieving over 1£00% of the usual daily sales in just 2 hours.

Now it’s a matter of maintaining this for a while, and then gradually increasing sales from there.

“Well, thank you for looking into it. Make sure to properly document it for later reporting. But I have to go somewhere now.”

“Yes, of course, Countess, you’re attending the regular meeting of the Luces Club tonight, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I haven’t been for a long time.”

That’s right.

Today, I plan to resume social activities that I’ve postponed for a while due to preparations for the first performance.

If the tickets hadn’t sold well, I wouldn’t have been able to go even if I wanted to. But since the tickets are sold out, and the bakery, my first subsidiary, is doing well, I can go there and hold my head high.

Even if I had quarreled with Oscar Creedwell, it’s not like I’m at a disadvantage now.

“Then, please have a good time!”

“Yeah, take care of the house.”

I tossed Dylan a joking look.

“And tell Roche to get some rest.”

Roche followed me everywhere like a shadow, but he wasn’t allowed in the Luces Club lounge.

Dylan nodded at my words.

“I’m sure he’ll be disappointed.”

“He’ll manage.”

I laughed heartily, thinking it was just a joke.

But Dylan’s face turned serious.

“No, My Lady. He’ll really be disappointed. Even when he’s not attending to you, he keeps talking about you.”

“Really?”

That was news to me.

Suddenly, I wondered what Roche was like when he wasn’t with me.

On a whim, I nudged Dylan to ask.

At first, Dylan was straightforward, but then he started to withdraw.

“Roche also asked me a question about what the Countess and I talked about, and the Countess also…..Are you two doing this between me?”

His expression was almost sulky.

“Really?”

“Yes…….”

“Is Roche curious about what you and I are talking about?”

“That’s what I’m saying…….”

I laughed really hard.

“Roche is such a cutie.”

I blurted out, and for a moment, a very strange expression flashed across Dylan’s face.

Whether he realized it or not, I was in a good mood because of my cutie.

* * *
That evening, in the club lounge.

“Countess Balthus has arrived.”

The attendant announced my arrival.

The club members’ gazes locked on me for a moment.

It’s been a long time since I came to the club lounge after fighting with Oscar on my first debut day as a club member.

I had become an unintentionally expensive face, and people still stared at me curiously.

But strangely, none of them came over to say hello to me first.

“Hmmm.”

It’s obvious.

It’s Oscar Crestwell.

The club members realized the standoff between me and Oscar, which made it difficult for them to approach me easily.

Well, I guess Oscar didn’t mention the proposal of us working together after all.

It’s just a joke.

No harm done.

My theater company did well today. I’m seeing the benefits of being a blue ocean pioneer.

And it’s not like these people have any animosity towards me.

Technically, they have a lot of questions for me, but they’re afraid to approach me for fear of incurring Oscar’s wrath.

If that’s the case, I don’t feel too discouraged.

It’s something that will come naturally once our theater company is more established.

And besides that prospect, there was another reason for my calmness.

“Ah, Countess Balthus.”

“Duke Lopez.”

The Duke of Lopez, president of the Luces Club, is in my favor.

As soon as he saw me, he deliberately rose from his seat and walked toward me to greet me.

Usually, the Duke of Lopez doesn’t go out of his way to greet anyone.

He just sits there and everyone comes to say hello to him.

So this is quite unusual.

People gave me an impatient look, wondering what the Duke of Lopez’s sudden favor was for.

“Thank you again for coming to the premiere. And for your kind words.”

I bowed gracefully.

Of course, I sent him a separate card after seeing the review in the newspaper. It’s just that I was too busy to meet him in person and exchange pleasantries.

The Duke of Lopez waved his hand in greeting.

“The play was commendable. I think you understood the significance of the conversation we had at my house that day. Anyway, congratulations on the official opening. I heard the tickets were sold out.”

“That’s all thanks to the Duke.”

“Nonsense. I’ll say it again, the play was commendable.”

I kept my gaze fixed on the Duke of Lopez while paying attention to the reactions of those around me.

The fact that I was at the Duke of Lopez’s residence had become a ripple, spreading through the crowd.

The Duke of Lopez is polite but subtly distant, making him not easily approachable.

It’s not easy to get an invitation to his house. He’s busy, and being from a prestigious noble family that everyone wants to impress, it’s not easy.

And he’s also a friend of the late Duke of Crestwell. Or, to put it more simply, ‘friend of my enemy’s father.

‘Why?’

The question blatantly blossomed on people’s faces.

I felt the shock spreading through the crowd with a pleasant sensation.

This was the moment when my ‘class’ in the social circle increased.

I felt the thrill of anticipation spreading through the crowd.

Someone finally finished their calculations.

Despite receiving a warning from Oscar, there was someone who thought they might take advantage of this opportunity to speak to the Duke of Lopez.

A nobleman approached me with a champagne glass.

“Countess Balthus, congratulations on the successful opening of your theater.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“Haha.”

Just then, the Duke of Lopez’s eyes sparkled behind his one-eyed glasses.

Ah, the ‘ironically teasing gaze’ behind those glasses.

Perhaps the nobleman who approached us also felt it, as he chuckled with the same expression.

“Countess Balthus, may I speak with you privately for a moment?”

“Ah, yes. Of course.”

I followed the Duke of Lopez’s lead.

He took me to a place at the top of the stairs that overlooked all of the club’s lounges at once.

As we walked up the stairs, there were now more explicit glances between me and the Duke of Lopez.

Apparently, the Duke of Lopez wants to be alone, so he separates people.

Wow, it felt like I had become someone truly important.

I walked up the stairs and sat down at the mahogany table that the Duke of Lopez practically owns.

“Duke Crestwell has arrived.”

The attendant announced Oscar’s arrival.

The Duke of Lopez’s gaze turned toward the entrance, and I followed his gaze.

From here, I had a good view of the entrance.

Once inside, Oscar looked around.

He seemed to be looking for someone.

Probably the Duke of Lopez.

His eyes naturally traveled up here.

And lingered on me.

I waved leisurely at him. ‘How are you?’

Oscar’s face crumpled into a grim line.

His mood crumpled so quickly, that it was as if he hadn’t been able to control his expression, even with the Duke of Lopez next to him.

I burst out laughing.

The Duke of Lopez looked at me curiously.

“I must be getting old,” he said, “and my thoughts are short.”

“What do you mean?”

“When Countess Balthus first stood up here and announced your intention to go into the theater business.”

I nodded.

“I thought it would be the Countess who would be down there looking up in shame.”

Well, that was a little too blunt.

I looked toward the entrance again.

Oscar had somehow disappeared from view.

“But contrary to my expectations, Duke Crestwell’s side was very upset, while Count Balthus is laid back.”

I did not deny otherwise.

“Is that a difference in character?”

Being overly vigilant and restraining oneself from seeing others succeed is a sign of flawed character.

On the other hand, I haven’t really cared about how well Oscar’s theater play sold. Once I was free from his influence, I didn’t really pay attention unless Oscar was bothering me directly.

I meant it sincerely, but perhaps it sounded like a joke to the Duke of Lopez.

He laughed heartily.

This drew even more attention to me.

A pleasant moment between the Duke of Lopez and me was now on display for everyone in the Luces Club.