Chapter 15
Christine stiffened her gaze to show no signs of weakness.
“Though I receive support, I swear before God that what you think… that sort of shameless relationship is not true.”
Her eyes, clear and resolute, stared directly at the crown prince of Bern, Arthur. He looked at her with an intrigued expression.
Everything has its price, especially when dealing with a man.
But to deny such a disgraceful relationship…
“I can’t understand it by my standards.”
Christine felt embarrassed and saddened by his response.
When a poor woman and an older nobleman become involved, such misunderstandings are bound to arise.
“If Your Highness is concerned about Duke Deimos, it seems you need more accurate information.”
She gripped the hem of her dress, standing firm against his gaze.
“He is not someone who would tarnish his honor.”
Arthur glanced down at her, his eyes cold, as though trying to pierce through her.
Her acting skills, her compelling voice, and even her beauty were not just useful on stage.
“You claim he’s just a patron?”
“That’s right.”
“I don’t think so.”
His cynical gaze was sharp, and it felt like it could see right through her.
Christine could hardly breathe under his stare.
“The Duke I know wouldn’t take time for a beneficiary. Not by a long shot.”
“…” “Does your aunt know about this?”
Arthur’s calm voice was like a tightening noose around her neck.
Christine could only twitch her lips, unable to reply. The way Arthur’s smile curved felt like a trap, and her heart pounded like a bird caught in it.
“All I know is that Duke Deimos is a lover of the arts, a man of honor, and a merciful patron to struggling opera singers like me, Your Highness.”
Her explanation felt disgusting even to her.
With both hands in his pockets, Arthur tilted his head and stared at her. His sharp, probing gaze made it almost impossible to bear.
“Do you perhaps have feelings for Duke Deimos?”
At his direct question, Christine’s neck heated with humiliation, and nausea rose inside her.
Her urge to reveal the truth was barely suppressed. If the Duke’s illegitimate child was exposed, Christine herself would be ruined. She would never set foot on an opera stage again.
She regained her composure and answered in a cold tone.
“My patron is only an object of respect and gratitude.”
“What if I became your patron?”
“….”
The sudden proposal left Christine speechless as she stared at him, stunned.
“I will make Miss Faledon the greatest prima donna in Bern. You will live a life worthy of that fame. As long as you don’t betray me, I will protect Miss Faledon’s honor, no matter what happens.”
“…” “Considering Miss Faledon’s circumstances, it seems like a fair deal.”
Christine’s eyes flickered nervously, like a small boat about to capsize in a storm.
Was this something to contemplate? She would have the royal family’s support after all.
Arthur’s brow furrowed slightly.
Christine hesitated for a long time. Without being particularly close to Duke Deimos, her attitude made no sense to Arthur.
The waiting started to feel like a tedious period.
Finally, Christine spoke.
“What are your terms?”
“I want something very simple, Miss Faledon.”
Arthur stared at her as he adjusted his coat collar. The soft petals brushed against her cheek with a delicate fragrance.
“Become the Duke’s mistress.”
“…!”
The shock hit Christine like a blow to the head. For a moment, dizziness took over, and everything turned white.
So this was why he called her here.
To make such a disgusting proposal.
Her anger reached its peak, but oddly, it didn’t come out as rage. Only exhaustion hit her, and all she wanted was to go home.
Daisy should have heard this.
For some romantic fantasy.
It was almost laughable.
She had never truly believed Daisy’s playful words, but now she saw how foolish she had been. The world wasn’t that kind.
Still, the intense humiliation and self-loathing made her swallow back a bitter laugh.
“I suggest you find someone else, Your Highness.”
With perfect formality, Christine bowed deeply and rejected the prince’s offensive offer.
Her discarded cloak fell to the floor, but she didn’t care as she turned and rushed up the stairs.
The sound of her heels echoed sharply on the marble steps, breaking the winter night’s silence.
Returning to her boarding house, Christine climbed the creaking stairs toward the attic. The high-heeled blue satin shoes hung limply in her hands. There was no longer any need to endure the pain in her heels.
She passed through the narrow, dim hallway and entered the room.
Unlike the radiant palace, the small attic room was dark and musty, with a faint smell of dampness.
It seemed Daisy, who had a date with Percy, hadn’t returned yet. The familiar cold and darkness welcomed Christine. Only then did a long sigh of relief escape her.
When she lit the lamp on the table, the outlines of the old wardrobe, vanity, and worn-out bed became faintly visible.
Christine carefully undressed, changing into her nightgown. The sound of silk brushing against each other was delicate and soft.
She neatly arranged the jewelry and dress she had to return to the old woman, making sure they didn’t get damaged and hung them in the wardrobe. The blue dress sparkled among the shabby clothes, standing out like a proud individual.
She closed the wardrobe, and the image of Cecilia Deimos faded away.
After gathering the remaining coal into a bucket, Christine lit the stove, slowly warming up the cold air. She dragged a chair over to the stove and sat, staring at the flickering flames. Her body, frozen in the garden of Bern’s palace, began to thaw.
Christine felt a sharp pang of self-reproach for forgetting something she shouldn’t have.
The selfish and arrogant nature of the nobles.
Especially him, a royal.
How foolish she had been to forget that and seek futile comfort.
“Do you like him, Duke Deimos?”
The voice from earlier echoed in her head, and Christine bit her lip. She stood abruptly, walking toward the window.
On the windowsill, a glass cup with a vine motif held gardenia flowers, glowing white in the moonlight.
For a moment, she gazed down at the flowers, her green eyes filled with vague anger and sadness.
“What I want is very simple, Miss Faledon. To become the Duke’s mistress.”
Christine clenched the gardenias in her hand until they were crushed and tossed them into the fire. The white flowers flared up and burned quickly, leaving no trace.
It didn’t take long.
The speed was almost the same as the fading of her small hope.
This is a nightmare. This can’t be real!
Fiona stared in shock at the sight before her.
When the worker cut the rope securing the sign of the Gueno Opera Theater, Fiona Bennett’s face, which had been the star for three years, wobbled grotesquely and fell to the ground.
How dare they deface my face…
Tears welled up in her eyes.
Then, with a swift sound, Christine Faledon’s face spread from the top of the building, filling the entire wall.
How could they do this to me without warning? How did she rise to that position…
Her breath came out in harsh, visible clouds against the cold air.
The poster, completed so suddenly, was unreasonably perfect. Though it didn’t capture her in full, it brilliantly conveyed the dramatic aura that Christine Faledon radiated. The poster glowed with sunlight, like a masterpiece.
“I heard you sent that girl to the court ball last night. It must have been Count Guno’s influence. He wouldn’t have let her go if she wasn’t seducing him.”
The maid, standing close, threw more fuel on Fiona’s anger.
Fiona jumped up, heading straight for Count Guno.
I heard it was the solo concert of Cecilia Deimos, the cousin of the king and the prima donna of the Royal Opera House. Few people had the power to turn the situation on its head, and one of them was Count Gabriel Guno.
That despicable woman.
