Chapter 1.1 – After The Wind Blows, A Storm Comes

Before a performance, the opera house was always pleasantly abuzz. Tonight, the Concertratium, the largest and most famous opera house in the capital city of Kraem, in the Bechenia Empire, was no exception.

The audience in the seats waited for the show, each carrying their own excitement, exchanging greetings with familiar faces. Surely, behind the stage, the actors were busy preparing for the performance. Everyone’s spirits were high, anticipating the show that was about to begin.

But Belnez Adraena was not like them. Over her green eyes, reminiscent of early summer foliage, a gloomy shadow hung, and her face, which looked cute thanks to her round, childlike cheeks, was twisted into a fierce expression as if she might spit out a curse at any moment.

It was understandable. Belnez had just broken up with her lover of four years. The reason was absurd. The other party had been cheating on her.

‘That bastard…….’

Belnez ground her teeth and glared at the seat next to her. Since this performance was wildly popular these days, every seat was always filled for each show. However, the seat next to Belnez was empty. Originally, her ex-lover, that bastard, Ramon Matias, should have been sitting there.

With the breakup, the promise was automatically broken as well, so Belnez had come to watch the opera alone. She had considered not coming, but it was a performance she had longed for too much. She didn’t want to miss the hard-to-get seat just because of a man who had now become nothing more than a foreign object to her.

More than anything, it would be hard to come to such an opera again in the future.

Belnez turned her gaze away and let out a heavy sigh. Honestly, it wasn’t that she especially liked Ramon Matias. But, coming from a noble family in the countryside, her parents had wanted to form ties with the nobles of the capital at any cost. Because of that pressure, Belnez, who had come to the city alone, couldn’t reject Ramon’s confession. That’s how their relationship, which had started so vaguely, lasted four years.

That didn’t mean Belnez had neglected the relationship. In fact, it was Ramon who had been neglectful, not Belnez.

Belnez always tried her best to look sophisticated, studying city trends so Ramon wouldn’t feel embarrassed by his country-born lover, and dressed to suit his tastes. On the other hand, Ramon, always ahead of the trends, wore tight riding pants that clung to his body and accentuated his figure, even though they didn’t suit him, making Belnez feel embarrassed for him.

Careless Ramon hadn’t celebrated Belnez’s birthday even once after their first year together. Even so, Belnez never showed her disappointment and always gave him a heartfelt gift on his birthday.

It was the same with dates. Even though she had no interest in horse racing, which he liked, Belnez studied it separately so she could watch it with him and talk about it. On the other hand, Ramon acted as if he was doing her a favor by occasionally watching the opera with her, and even then, he couldn’t hide how bored he was, dozing off openly.

And what about in bed? Belnez always hated having s*x with him. That bastard was so unimpressive that she couldn’t even feel he was inside, yet he was unjustifiably confident, always asking if she felt good and demanding an answer. It was exhausting, having to fake moans and pretend for his sake.

Belnez swore there wasn’t a single moment in that relationship that she enjoyed. She only did her best because it was a duty given to her. Yet, the other party deceived her, maintaining his affair the entire time, and didn’t even bother to properly hide it, so it was exposed in vain. Thus, Belnez’s four-year relationship ended today.

It was a sudden breakup, but Belnez wasn’t sad. She hadn’t liked him from the start, so there was no reason to be sad. It was just a waste. Her four years had vanished meaninglessly. If she had known it would end like this, she wouldn’t have forced herself to endure it—she would have lived more freely and comfortably.

But now, that was over. In a way, it was better that things fell apart like this. Since it had come to this, Belnez decided she wouldn’t waste her life any longer.

No matter what her parents said, she would quit city life, which didn’t suit her, and go back to her hometown to live in peace. There, she would find a pure country man, not a sly city man, and start again. A relationship where she wouldn’t have to devote herself one-sidedly or endure things, but one where she could be satisfied.

So, this would be the last time she would come to see the opera. In her hometown, there wasn’t even an old, shabby small theater, let alone such a grand opera house. That’s why, even after the breakup, she had come alone to see the opera.

Belnez looked around the inside of the Concertratium with a face full of regret. She disliked city life, but she really did love being able to watch the opera.

“……Ah.”

As Belnez looked around, her gaze stopped somewhere. Her light green eyes grew wide. A tall, handsome man was walking toward her. Even though he wore his hat low and glasses, his good looks couldn’t be hidden. The resentment she had been chewing over just moments ago vanished instantly, and her eyes sparkled as if the stage had already opened and the lights were pouring down.

“Excuse me, Miss.”

The man came right up to Belnez and politely bowed, raising his hand to indicate the empty seat beside her.

“I heard the reservation was canceled in a hurry. It seems this was originally your companion’s seat. May I sit here?”

“Ah, yes.”

Belnez quickly composed her expression and nodded. She had already told the staff she would cancel the reservation, so it was none of her business who bought the ticket and sat there now. Still, she thought he was a very polite man for asking for her permission. Even though she had already nodded, as if that wasn’t enough of an answer, he was still standing, gauging her reaction.

“It’s fine. Please, have a seat.”

When Belnez gestured to the empty seat and repeated herself, the man smiled brightly, as if genuinely happy. For a moment, Belnez blinked, feeling as if a radiant light burst from his handsome smile.

“Thank you very much, Miss.”

As she watched him sit down with a polite greeting, Belnez’s expression suddenly hardened. She almost let out a gasp, quickly closed her mouth, and turned her gaze forward in a hurry. She had realized who he was, belatedly.

‘Oh my. That’s Erpesto Hasmin Bechenia!’

He seemed not to recognize her, an insignificant lower noble, but Belnez knew who he was. No wonder—he was incredibly famous. Was there even a noble in the capital, Kraem, who didn’t know him? The social world’s libertine, an incorrigible womanizer, the empire’s top playboy notorious for his light ways, the second prince of the Bechenia Empire and the royal family’s troublemaker. Erpesto Hasmin Bechenia!

‘Ugh, I really hate playboys.’

For a moment, Belnez ground her teeth, remembering her ex’s unfaithfulness. As she recalled his notoriety, her heart, which had just been dazzled by his looks, instantly cooled. Wasn’t he the kind of womanizer who would seduce any woman, whether maiden or married, as long as she was female? No matter how handsome, a playboy was unforgivable. Especially right after breaking up because of a cheating lover.

Feeling a sudden surge of anger, Belnez glanced sideways at him, then froze. Their eyes met immediately. Erpesto, through his glasses, gave her a gentle smile that seemed to melt right into her.

“I really wanted to see this opera, but it’s so popular that I could hardly ever book it to fit my schedule. I was anxious, thinking I might miss it, but then I heard a seat had just been canceled today, so I rushed right over as soon as I got the call.”

“Ah, yes…….”

Without even being asked, he spoke in an excited voice, and Belnez nodded reluctantly. 

Ah, is that so. He must be very happy to see the opera he wanted to watch. That’s why he’s smiling so sweetly at a woman he’s never seen before…….

Belnez tried to calm her pounding heart and steady her rough breathing. He was, as the rumors said, an extremely dangerous man. Even though her mind knew he was a playboy, her heart was captivated first by that face that so freely gave such a smile.

Whether he sensed her feelings or not, the man quietly watched Belnez’s expression, then, as if realizing something, let out a small sigh and softened his eyebrows.

“Ah, perhaps my happiness is rude to a lady who might be upset because her prior engagement was suddenly canceled? If so, I apologize. I shouldn’t have…….”

“No, no!”

Belnez hurriedly waved her hand in denial, and Erpesto tilted his head with a serious expression.

“Really?”

“Yes, yes. I’m not upset at all. He wasn’t even an important person to begin with…….”

As her words trailed off and her hand slowed, she wondered why she was going so far to deny it. 

Was it the power of a handsome face? Was I secretly weak for good looks? 

When she thought of Ramon’s face, that couldn’t be true.

Well, it wasn’t a lie. Someone like Ramon was never important to her. Now, he was nothing more than a foreign object. If she was going to see the opera with a playboy anyway, wasn’t a handsome playboy much better than an unattractive one? So, having Erpesto sit beside her instead of Ramon turned out to be a good thing for Belnez.