The two protagonists, guided by the usher, entered the box seats. Although the box seats were in the form of a small room, the front was clearly open for a view of the stage. There were plush sofas and curtains that could cover the front in that place.
So, as the play began and the surroundings darkened, the protagonists lowered the curtain…
Huh? Lower the curtain? How are they going to watch the play, then?
Something seemed odd, but for now, I decided to continue reading.
Lowering the curtain, in the perfectly private space of the VIP room, the two protagonists, without any hesitation, engaged in a passionate kiss…
Huh? Weren’t they supposed to go to the theater to watch the play? The play has already started, hasn’t it?
The more I read, the more my face heated up, and even my ears got warm. But it was strange. Why didn’t the thought of stopping reading occur to me?
The two protagonists, not stopping at the kiss, went all the way, only regaining their senses after the applause for the end of the play erupted. It turned out that even though the play had ended, the two men and women didn’t come out, so a puzzled attendant knocked on the door. At that moment, they hurriedly tidied up their disheveled appearances.
And so, the theater date scene in this novel came to an end.
I tried to read thoroughly to see if there was anything to learn, but it seemed like I had absorbed nothing useful, with only strange scenes filling my mind.
Oh no. I’m blank. I should be going on a date with Ares this weekend, but plans are not coming to mind, and scenes from the novel keep popping up. This is a problem.
I barely managed to pull myself together and flip the novel to examine the back cover.
Lo and behold, there, in very small letters, it stated, ‘Caution: Contains explicit sexual descriptions!’
No, if something like this is included, it should be more noticeable and prominently written!
It seems like there should be a need to classify the age group for novels published at the government level. Even after several years since reaching adulthood, I’m still feeling flushed like this. What if young girls read this book? What on earth would they think a theater is when they go to the box seats? Instead of focusing on the play, wouldn’t they be reminded of the contents of this novel every time they see a box seat?
This is a problem. I have to go to the theater with Ares this weekend, but can I completely forget about this novel until then?
I slammed the book shut.
I was about to throw it across the room, but I held it politely, fearing that Miranda might catch me reading it and feel embarrassed. I carefully placed the book deep into the pile of novels.
And that night, I had a vivid, full-color dream.
Have you ever experienced senses being activated in a dream? I experienced it for the first time.
Should I consider myself lucky that what I read was a romance novel and not a horror novel? Well, the dream content was, um… still, it felt good.
＊ ＊ ＊
After revealing to Leia that I am in a relationship with Ares, she abruptly stopped sending me the letters she used to send almost every day, as if they were lies. With the cessation of those letters delivered by postal workers daily, I keenly felt that I had become a rival to Leia.
Well, there was nothing particularly special in the exchanges we had. It was just modestly detailing our daily lives, and I replied with equally unimportant content in those letters.
I don’t know if she considered me a friend during that time. I responded promptly out of courtesy, but maybe she focused on the mere fact that she received replies each time.
Anyway, now that she has stopped writing letters, it seems like there has been some psychological change in our relationship. Hmm, does this mean she will stop addressing me by name?
But even if my closeness with Lea diminishes, Lea and Ares will likely remain friends. Of course, Ares may not treat Lea as perfectly as before, but he probably won’t entirely sever their relationship. Ares is not a cold person, just because his friend has become my lover.
Moreover, I disliked the idea of Ares showing a special interest in Lea. Whether it’s for better or worse, I just wanted Lea to be an ordinary friend among many.
If, by any chance, Ares finds out that I am still conscious of Lea, wouldn’t that make him pay even more attention to her?
In the first-person original novel, I couldn’t know how Lea’s perspective was narrated, but perhaps she might have mistaken Ares’ graceful manners for a special affection towards her. She is so pure that she might straightforwardly accept his actions.
In the current situation where the romance between Leia and Ares is not progressing at all, understanding what Leia perceives becomes crucial to speculating about the next ‘pillar.’ At least, the main couple is undoubtedly confirming each other’s feelings, and there will undoubtedly be some psychological events for Lea alone.
It seems there will be many encounters with Leia in the future, so if I just go with the flow, the ‘pillar’ will eventually appear. Regardless of what I do, the ‘pillar’ will appear anyway, and I only need to know whether it has appeared or not.
There’s no other reason. That way, I can predict when I might die.
Fortunately, without specially detecting the appearance of the ‘pillar,’ the weekend to watch the play with Ares arrived as planned.
As agreed beforehand, Ares came to pick me up as a duke.
Having informed my parents about our relationship, this bold man didn’t just come to the mansion driving a carriage!
In the midst of getting dressed with Miranda’s help, I was taken aback when the butler mentioned that Ares was having a friendly conversation with my parents in the reception room.
Oh no, if parents intervene in our relationship, it’s no longer just a simple romance… that foolish Ares…
I quickly finished dressing and rushed down to the reception room without hiding the bewildered expression on my face. The three of them were enjoying a cheerful conversation in a very friendly atmosphere.
“Oh, Bianca. You came down earlier than expected.”
Mother spoke with an elegant gesture, lifting her teacup without a hint of disarray.
I clenched my teeth. But I didn’t forget to smile.
“Ares. I didn’t expect you to be meeting my parents like this.”
In the moment when Ares, with a nonchalant expression, seemed about to say something, my father seized the opportunity and spoke first.
“The prince of the Stanley family has visited our marquis’s mansion for the first time, and naturally, we should treat him generously.”
“Thank you deeply for the hospitality of Marquis Uranos.”
Ares replied with a gentle tone.
Seeing him with such a bright face, it seemed he hadn’t yet noticed the subtle glances from our parents. That innocent Ares… Argh!
“It seems Bianca has finished preparing for the outing. Then, I’ll take my leave.”
“Oh, yes. Both of you have a pleasant time and contact us if it gets late.”
Father said with a warm smile.
Ah, Father! Shouldn’t you tell him to come back early in such situations? Yes?
Feeling a bit uneasy, but for now, the priority was to quickly take Ares out from in front of my parents. As I sighed deeply and got on the carriage, Ares, smiling as if having a good time, asked.
“It’s the first time I’ve personally greeted and chatted with your parents. They seem like very nice people.”
“Yeah… thanks.”
“Soon, I’ll invite you to our mansion as well. My parents would be delighted.”
“Really… I hope so.”
Ugh. It ends up like this, huh?
Greeting each other’s parents right after starting to date. If we ever break up in the future, I wonder how Ares will handle the aftermath…
Upon arriving at the theater, Ares confidently handed over the reins to the theater staff, who had been waiting for us in advance. The usher recognized Ares and approached him with enthusiasm.
“Prince Stanely, welcome. Your partner is Lady Uranos, I presume?”
Since I had come to see ballet here quite often, the usher remembered my face as well. I smiled and expressed my gratitude for his hospitality.
“We’re here to see a play today.”
Ares asked the usher to guide us to our seats, and soon we were led to a box on the third floor of the theater. As we opened the door and stepped inside, there was a spacious and plush sofa along with a small table in front of a wide-open view.
Ugh! Scenes from that romance novel I read recently flashed in my mind!
“Bianca, what’s wrong?”
“Huh? Oh, nothing.”
As I suddenly stood stiffly, Ares asked with a puzzled expression.
Yeah, yeah, let’s not entertain weird thoughts in front of clueless Ares!
Before the play began, the audience below was buzzing with people. Still, it seemed quite crowded, indicating that this playwright was quite well-known.
Ares looked at the paper with a brief summary of the play and commented.
“Hmm, this time it’s a tragedy. In the previous one, they used a comedy script, and it was quite good.”
“A tragedy…”
Soon, all the lights, except those on the stage, went out.
As the surroundings darkened, I nervously watched, half-expecting Ares to lower the curtain. Fortunately, without any incident, we began watching the play.
The gist of the play was something like this:
The male and female protagonists fell in love at first sight, as if destined, but a woman who envied their beautiful love plotted against them. Eventually, due to her scheme, the two misunderstood each other and parted ways. Coincidentally, with the outbreak of a war, the man became a soldier, and the woman, a nurse, each going to the battlefield.
Reuniting on the battlefield, the two confirmed each other’s feelings in extreme circumstances and resolved their misunderstandings. However, in a sudden enemy attack, the woman died, and the devastated man also fell victim to enemy gunfire.
In reality, the plot itself was quite simple and melodramatic, but for some reason, I found myself deeply immersed in the character of the female lead.
Falling in love as if it were destiny felt so much like my own experience. Also, facing an inevitable separation through death in the midst of an unavoidable war resonated with me as if it were my own fate.
It was fortunate that the surroundings were dark. I couldn’t help but cry throughout the play. I felt so saddened and unjust, wondering why fate was so cruel to them and why it seemed so harsh only to me.
I clenched a handkerchief, wiping away tears and trying not to make a sound, which fortunately prevented me from disturbing Ares’ viewing.
So sad 😞