The effect of putting on a grand show with Ian in front of everyone was spectacular.
Not only did it catch the attention of the people who were already in the square, but it also drew in those who had been further away, inching closer to get a better look at us.
The more onlookers there were glancing in our direction, the more I clung to Ian’s arm like a leech, making a show of not letting go.
“But, my lord, I feel a little dizzy, perhaps from the carriage ride…”
I added the extra touch of pretending to stagger and cling to him for support. Normally, Ian would have given me a look of disgust, but today, he stood firm, not wavering at all.
I had no idea what had gotten into him to act like this.
‘Hmm… but what should I do next?’
Leaning shamelessly into his chest, I glanced around slyly.
I had stormed off after seeing the article in the paper, but now I didn’t know what to do next.
I’d already done plenty of shopping, and it felt too cliché to do it again.
It wasn’t time for a meal yet, and we couldn’t just wander aimlessly around the square forever.
Just as I was seriously pondering what to do, Ian, who had been watching me, spoke up.
“Is there somewhere you’d like to go?”
If there were, would I still be doing this?
I raised my head and blinked dramatically instead of answering.
His eyebrow twitched slightly at my exaggerated expression.
A tiny reaction only I would have noticed.
‘Ah, it is the Grand Duke.’
For a moment, I wondered if he had eaten something strange or if some imposter had taken over his body, but after sensing the subtle hint of arrogance from him, I was reassured.
While I was lost in thought, Ian checked his pocket watch and said,
“Do you enjoy performances?”
“Performances?”
“Plays or operas.”
Out of nowhere?
“Well, yes, I suppose…”
I used to watch musicals and plays occasionally when I lived in Korea, though not too often since they were expensive.
Ian nodded, as if that was the answer he had been waiting for.
“Then let’s go. There’s a performance at a nearby theater in thirty minutes. It’s a well-known troupe.”
“Huh?”
In thirty minutes?
I blinked rapidly, clearly surprised.
How did he know that?
As if reading my thoughts, Ian answered without even looking at me.
“I happened to find out.”
You’ve been with me the whole time, though.
‘What’s with all these coincidences with Duke Roger and now Ian?’
Duke Hayden Roger just so happened to secure a reservation at an impossible-to-book restaurant, and Ian just happened to know the performance schedule of the grand theater.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
‘Surely, he didn’t look up the performance schedule in that one hour he had to prepare?’
The thought crossed my mind briefly, but I quickly dismissed it.
No way would this man go through the trouble of doing something like that.
“I’m fine with that. It sounds fun.”
In any case, it wasn’t a bad suggestion for me.
We couldn’t just waste time standing around in this vast square forever.
Once I gave my calm agreement, he led me toward the theater.
It was only about a five-minute walk from the grand square.
Judging by the huge crowd near the theater, Ian hadn’t been wrong about the troupe’s popularity.
As we approached, still arm in arm, I could feel the many eyes turning toward us.
“Oh my, look over there.”
“Isn’t that the Grand Duke and Duchess?”
“That’s not what the Aria newspaper’s gossip column said though, right? They implied the Duchess was in some sort of entanglement with Duke Roger.”
“Yeah, it doesn’t seem like that’s the case after all.”
I smiled in satisfaction as I overheard their murmurs.
This was exactly what I wanted.
Meanwhile, Ian seemed completely indifferent to the chatter, heading straight for the entrance.
‘Wait, do we even have tickets?’
I wondered for a moment, but my concern quickly faded.
An employee, upon recognizing us, gasped and rushed out barefoot to greet us.
In the meantime, they discreetly used the magic communication device on their wrist to report the situation.
“Your Grace, Duke Cloud, and Your Grace, Duchess Cloud. It is an honor to meet you.”
I was starting to get used to these overly formal greetings now.
While I briefly pondered over this, the flustered employee cleared their throat and turned to Ian.
“We’ve prepared—no, I mean, we have already arranged the best seats for you. Please follow me.”
They bowed repeatedly and stammered so much that it was dizzying.
Ian, slightly frowning, turned to me.
“…Shall we go?”
“Oh, yes.”
We followed the obsequious employee into the grand theater.
The employee, walking three steps ahead of us, quickly led us up to the second floor and pulled back a curtain in the middle of the hallway.
Inside was a private box seat with a perfect view of the stage.
“These are your designated seats.”
“Oh…”
A balcony seat, just as I had heard about in stories.
Come to think of it, I’d heard that in this era, nobles would outright purchase seats and visit whenever they wanted to watch a performance.
‘So worrying about tickets was unnecessary from the start.’ I realized, stepping quietly inside the curtain.
But the real issue was elsewhere.
In the balcony was a single sofa, just big enough for two people to sit on.
‘Wait… we’re sitting together?’
The couch was narrow, even for two.
While I had managed to maintain my bravado in front of people earlier, the thought of sitting shoulder to shoulder with Ian in this tight space made my head spin.
Ian, too, seemed a bit taken aback, as if this was something he hadn’t anticipated.
“Um…”
He glanced around awkwardly for a moment, but then caught sight of the servant watching us from a few steps away.
That made me change my mind.
“Let’s sit.”
What did it matter if things felt awkward? People outside were practically dying to connect me to Duke Roger.
Ian, who had been eyeing my determined expression curiously, soon seemed to grasp the situation, resigning himself.
You were fine putting on a show outside, so why hesitate now?
I plopped myself down on the couch and patted the spot beside me.
“Please, have a seat, Duke.”
Let’s see how it feels to sit uncomfortably in a cramped box seat for two hours.
“…Yes.”
Ian let out a sigh—whether of resignation or in response—and sat next to me, leaving just the smallest gap between us.
Surprisingly, I was the one who became flustered.
‘We’re… closer than I thought?’
Though I’d known it was a narrow seat, I hadn’t expected that just one slight movement would make our shoulders touch.
‘They could have afforded a bigger couch with all the money they have…!’
Of course, I understood that it was designed like this for nobles looking to have an intimate moment in a dark and quiet theater, but that was far from welcome for me right now.
I had to put all my effort into not accidentally turning my body toward Ian.
Just then, the servant approached us with a menu.
“What would you like for refreshments and snacks?”
“Choose whatever you’d like.”
“Hmm…”
Don’t look at me, don’t turn your head.
I hunched my shoulders and leaned away from Ian, skimming through the menu. Honestly, in this situation, nothing would taste good anyway…
“Just bring some simple Darjeeling tea. And a few tarts as well.”
“Yes, right away.”
The servant bowed and left, and I quickly picked up the pamphlet, trying to distract myself from Ian sitting next to me.
On the first page, the title of today’s performance was written: The Cursed Princess and the Immortal Knight.
‘Judging by the title, it must be a love story.’
On the back, as Ian had said, it explained that this was a final performance by a famous opera troupe, wrapping up their empire-wide tour here in the capital.
While I was busy focusing on the pamphlet, the servant returned, pushing a trolley.
“Here’s your Darjeeling tea and fruit tarts…”
And then it happened.
The teapot slipped from the servant’s hand as they stumbled.
Before I had time to react, the scalding hot tea poured toward me.
“Wait…!”
I shut my eyes tightly, bracing for the burning tea to spill all over me.
The sound of the liquid spilling was clear in the air.
But after a few seconds, I felt no heat, nor any sensation at all.
‘Huh…?’
Slowly, I opened my eyes—and was utterly shocked.
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