ISTL CHAPTER 27

“You don’t have to put on a brave face with me, who understands Lady Bastion’s feelings better than anyone.”
“What? Brave face?”
“I know very well that everything you’re saying now is not from the heart.”
Max was left at a loss for words, stunned by Anaïs’s unwavering stance.
“Of course, you could just drag things out and take advantage of the situation. But what then? What happens to the prince’s love? I completely understand the urge to run away from the possibility of rejection.”
“That’s not……”
“But, Your Highness, no matter how unlikely it may seem, you won’t know until you try. The short and the long, you have to test them.”
Anaïs believed that Max’s defensive attitude, showing a cold front, was a sign of his vulnerability, as he feared the moment of rejection would come sooner the closer he got to Roxane.
‘He must care about her that much. So much it terrifies him.’
Anaïs felt a pang of sympathy for him. Although money and her title were at stake, she didn’t want him to give up on the tender feelings he’d first experienced simply because of the commission.
“I know that Crown Prince Quentin has been pursuing Lady Bastion for a long time.”
“Anaïs.”
“But so what? Even the crown prince is just one of many men yearning for Roxane. She has never accepted him!”
“Anaïs Brienne.”
“If my words seem disrespectful, I apologize. But I have to say this.”
Anaïs reached out and clasped Max’s hand. She wanted to convey her sincerity to him. Thinking about how much he must have withdrawn and suffered alone due to his tyrannical nature made her heart ache.
“You won’t know until you cross the river, and you won’t understand a person until you spend time with them. Lady Bastion still doesn’t know you well.”
Whether Max’s gaze was fixed on their joined hands or not, Anaïs tightened her grip on his hand.
“When she truly gets to know you, she’ll fall in love. No, anyone would.”
“…….”
Max stared at Anaïs with a dazed look for a moment. He had a mountain of rebuttals, yet his mouth wouldn’t open. Was it because she was the person his grandmother employed? Or was he somehow brainwashed by that damned talk of comrades?
Was it because her eyes looked like they were about to tear up? Ah, maybe that’s it.
“Words fail me.”
Max couldn’t fathom where Anaïs’s unshakeable belief that he loved and cared for Roxane de Bastien came from. He abruptly pulled his hand away from hers. The warmth that had been there vanished in an instant.
“Alright, alright. So when is it? The play.”
“Oh, just a moment! The tickets……”
Anaïs, absentmindedly rubbing her eyes and rummaging through her handbag, was interrupted by a handkerchief thrust into her field of vision.
“……!”
“Wipe it off, will you?”
“Oh, no! It’s fine. I have a handkerchief…… oh, I don’t?”
“…….”
Without further ado, Max pressed the handkerchief to Anaïs’s nose.
“I’m just saying this because it looks like you don’t know, but wipe your nose.”
“Ugh. Why are you only telling me now……!”
Anaïs hastily dabbed at her nose with the handkerchief he handed her. Was she naive or just foolish? How could she be so easily deceived?
It was amusing how she could speak so convincingly yet be so careless.
A faint smile appeared on Max’s lips.
‘Alright. Since we’re already at it, might as well go along with it a bit more. There’s still time.’
****
The theater was bustling with a large crowd, eager to see the highly talked-about play. Anaïs swallowed hard, thinking of Max, who must be dreading this scene somewhere. It was the perfect environment for bumping into people at every turn.
‘I hope he hasn’t gotten into any trouble.’
Anaïs paced nervously at one corner of the theater lobby. The play was about to start, and she still hadn’t seen even a glimpse of him.
‘He’s not someone who would break a promise.’
At least, not when it came to Roxane.
Just as the theater’s ushers began urging patrons to take their seats, Anaïs was forced to enter last. She held onto the hope that Max might have already found his seat.
That hope was quickly dashed. Anaïs was disheartened to see Roxane sitting alone in the coveted royal box she had fought so hard to secure.
Memories of tracking Roxane’s schedule, persuading her to show interest in the play, and the struggles to get the seat next to her flashed through her mind. Seeing the empty seat next to Roxane only added to her frustration.
The play itself was indifferent to Anaïs’s feelings. As the scheduled time arrived, the lights dimmed and the spotlight illuminated the stage. The brief silence before the curtain rose enveloped the entire theater.
Anaïs, peering through binoculars from across the theater, barely managed to stifle an exclamation. There was Max, entering the royal box next to Roxane.
‘Oh, Prince Max. Couldn’t you have arrived a bit earlier? It would have been nice to exchange greetings before the play started.’
Despite her grumbling, Anaïs was grateful he had arrived in time.
She desperately hoped that the royal box ticket she had painstakingly secured (and which was next to Roxane’s seat) would be worth the effort. Given that she had to buy a second royal box to watch from across, doubling her expenditure, it had to be worth it.
Anaïs pressed the binoculars tightly to her eyes and held her breath. The curtain was about to rise.
****
When she returned from studying abroad, she hadn’t originally planned to choose this play.
She had intended to enjoy some cultural activities in the capital of Barbière, and her first choice was an opera. She had seen the same production at Lawson before and remembered enjoying it, so she decided to see it again. However, she then heard about the popular play Congratulations on Your Marriage, from J from her maids.
The maids of the Marquis were enthusiastic about the play, praising it so much that when she showed even a hint of curiosity, they would eagerly explain how great the play was and how it had gained such popularity that it had reached its third run after the premiere and re-run.
‘I can’t be out of touch with trends after being away from Barbière for so long.’
Ultimately, Roxane decided to postpone the opera and go see the play. She had Tasha book a good royal box seat. However, upon arrival, she found the seat next to her was empty, which she thought would allow her to focus solely on the play. But then…
“You are…!”
Roxane blinked her eyes, pointing at her small lips. The other reservation who had appeared late in the royal box she thought she would be alone in was an unexpected person.
“At Maison Plenay… Right? I remember you.”
“……”
Max gave a slight nod and sat down next to her without saying a word.
“Oh my. I didn’t realize it was you, forgive my rudeness, Your Highness.”
Roxane smiled coyly and continued speaking.
“In fact, I only found out later that you were a prince that day.”
“Ah.”
“As you can imagine, I’ve only recently returned from a long stay abroad, so I didn’t recognize you properly…”
“Shh.”
“……?”
“It’s started. Can you please be quiet?”
Max shot a cold glance at Roxane and turned his head toward the stage. Roxane ‘s expression, now staring at his profile in confusion, gradually turned to embarrassment.
What, what is this? Is this man really here to see this play alone? He really came to see this play?
Is it just a coincidence that we met again in this large theater’s royal box after our encounter at the coffeehouse? He didn’t make an effort just for me?
Realizing she had made an unintended mistake, Roxane felt embarrassment for the first time in her life. Her face was burning with this unfamiliar experience, and she didn’t know what to do. She was relieved that no one could see her in the dark.
Of course, on the opposite side, Anaïs, watching everything through binoculars, was thrilled, wondering, ‘What did His Highness say that made Lady Bastian’s cheeks turn red?’