chapter 26
“Oh my, is that really true?”
As expected, the young ladies around reacted instantly. Josephine smiled gracefully and added,
“In fact, I’ve begun to wonder if the Black Moon is really being run by Lord Damian of the Mage Tower all on his own—while Lady Clotilde is just getting in the way. That’s what it seems like to me.”
“They say she even bought an abandoned mine using loan-shark money…”
“That’s certainly a problem.”
At that, even the ladies who had been singing praises of the Black Moon subscription service shut their mouths tightly.
At least for today, Polius wouldn’t have to hear anyone going on about how great Black Moon was.
Hmph. No need to mention that she’s already paid off much of the debt and converted it into a safe bank loan.
It was just something he happened to discover while looking for a way to attack Melanie—but still, it felt refreshing.
I just can’t stand her.
In truth, the Black Moon’s booming success wasn’t merely something that made Polius jealous of Melanie’s good fortune—it was now directly hurting him financially.
“What? You’re saying the Beldert family’s theatre troupe has been running a deficit ever since the video crystal service launched?”
“Well… more people prefer watching through the video crystals now…”
“So you’re saying we’re being beaten by a young lady who didn’t even care about business before?”
“S-sorry, sir.”
Polius snapped at the employee who had come to report.
Until now, the Beldert Count family’s theatre troupe had been the Empire’s top name when it came to stage plays—always the first anyone mentioned.
And now they were in the red?
“Ha! That damned video crystal has shut down every theatre in the Empire! Idiots—why did they even sign those content contracts…”
“W-well… other troupes actually gained new audiences through it. It’s really just us who—”
“What did you say?”
“People who first saw plays through video crystals started wanting to see them live too, so some troupes got a big influx of new audiences.”
“Then why the hell don’t we?”
“As you know, Lady Clotilde didn’t sign a content contract with the Beldert troupe, so…”
“There are plays you can’t watch on crystals—so they should be flocking to Beldert’s troupe instead! Why aren’t they?”
“Well, Lady Clotilde lent some of the Mage Tower’s magical stage equipment to other troupes, so their performances became much flashier…”
“Enough! Stop saying that woman’s name!”
Polius shouted.
The employee flinched under the outburst of the “kind young master” and, trembling, left without finishing the report.
Why didn’t Melanie make a contract with our troupe? Does she just hate being associated with me or what?
Polius ground his teeth in anger.
Watching him, Clara barely restrained a look of disgust from surfacing on her face.
Tsk tsk. Why does Polius always take it out on innocent staff?
Still, she couldn’t help but admire Melanie’s foresight.
Melanie had told her she needed to stay close to Polius—and sure enough, things were playing out as expected.
Right. The plan was to push Polius into “doing business” so he’d lose money.
Clara recalled their plan.
Alright… what did Melanie say I should say in a situation like this?
Remembering Melanie’s advice about her tone and expression, Clara spoke carefully.
“Polius, maybe this is actually a chance.”
“What?”
“You’re someone who can turn crises into opportunities.”
She tried to soothe him as gently as possible… though honestly, he’s not even a child.
How did Melanie ever put up with him for years?
“The video crystal trend is unstoppable. Times change, and people always get excited about new things.”
“So you’re saying I should just stand back and watch?”
“The Beldert troupe could fall behind—but you’re not the type to sit still, are you? You can still make the best move now.”
With that flattery, Polius softened a little and listened more intently.
“The best move? What’s that?”
“The video crystal service Lady Clotilde started hasn’t been around that long—it’s still early days. With your talent, you could catch up in no time.”
“You mean I should start a video crystal business myself?”
Polius’s eyes widened.
“But I don’t have the money for that…”
“Then dismantle the troupe and sell this building. The theatre is built on prime land—honestly, keeping such a large theatre isn’t profitable anyway.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“You have to act fast. Before Clotilde’s side can react, you could close the gap.”
Polius fell silent for a moment. Clara silently recalled Melanie’s words.
She said the best way is to provoke him—make him think he’s better than Clotilde.
“With your sense and taste, you’d do it so much better.”
“!”
“The video crystal business itself was brilliant—but done by that uncultured, tasteless Melanie Clotilde? Of course there are flaws.”
“…”
“You grew up in a family that owned a theatre. Your artistic eye is way beyond hers.”
Polius was starting to be convinced.
“If you’d thought of the video crystal idea first, you’d have done it far better.”
“Really… you think so?”
“Of course!”
As expected, comparing him favorably to Melanie worked best.
Clara smiled sweetly, as if she only had Polius’s best interests in mind.
“And if you—coming in as the second mover—managed to surpass Lady Clotilde in the same business, wouldn’t that be amazing?”
“!”
“Even Lord Damian of the Mage Tower would surely feel humbled before you. And Lady Clotilde would weep, regretting the day she let you go.”
Clara felt triumphant, confident she had driven the final nail in.
After a moment’s thought, Polius finally spoke.
“…You’re right. If I want to do this, I’d better move before Melanie monopolizes the market.”
“See? I knew you were smart.”
“But… I don’t have the skills to process magic stones, and people don’t treat me like they used to…”
His tone grew gloomy again. Clara, thinking he was already convinced, froze.
Normally he’d have fallen for it by now.
Though easily swayed by flattery, Polius had clearly lost confidence lately—ever since his breakup with Melanie, his reputation had declined while Damian’s status had risen, leaving him insecure.
What else can I say?
As Clara struggled to think of something, Polius slumped back into the sofa, seeming to lose interest entirely.
Is it over already?
She sighed. It seemed this attempt might have failed.
She decided to end the conversation gracefully instead of pushing too hard.
“Ah, it’s too bad… I was hoping to see a play like The 13th Knight again through the video crystals…”
But at those offhanded words, Polius suddenly shot up from the sofa.
“What—The 13th Knight? You mean the play performed by the Beldert troupe?”
“Y-yes! That’s the one.”
Clara nodded quickly, startled by his sudden energy.
“The 13th Knight is the most famous play in the Empire. Every new play is compared to it even now…”
“Right—and none have ever come close to matching even a fraction of it.”
Polius fell silent, deep in thought.
“There are still so many people who want to see The 13th Knight again… if not for that actor problem…”
The issue lay with Robio Tamdaje, the actor who had played the lead role, Artlen.
Even decades later, the play remained legendary—but reviving it was nearly impossible.
Robio had delivered such a perfect portrayal of Artlen that he refused to reprise the role again, saying he didn’t want to be tied forever to one character.
Other actors had since tried, but audiences rejected them all, saying they didn’t fit the part.
“But if you could persuade him, that alone would cause a sensation! Everyone would look up to you!”
“Right—if I could just convince that man… it was originally a Beldert production anyway, so he’d only need to be persuaded once…”
“Then Lady Clotilde’s failure to contract with the Beldert troupe turns out to be a blessing in disguise!”
“Exactly! Melanie will regret not making The 13th Knight into a video crystal herself—she’ll kick herself over it.”
Muttering to himself, Polius stood up with a determined look.
“My father’s down in the territory right now… but I can’t waste another day.”
“Oh, yes! Better to act first and tell him later!”
“You think so too?”
Clara beamed.
The less he consulted his father, the more mistakes this naïve man would make.
“Then let’s sell the theatre building to raise the startup funds first! Once The 13th Knight video crystal succeeds, you won’t even need the troupe anymore!”
Clara smiled brightly, congratulating Polius on his “decision” to start a business.
Phew, finally. I needed him to go broke from a failed venture—thought he might back out for a moment there. Funny how that 13th Knight thing came up by chance, but it worked perfectly.
Even better, he was now selling off property without consulting his father—it would be hilarious when it blew up.
No need to bother Lady Clotilde with news about this right away. She’s busy; I’ll just report the key parts later.
Clara chuckled to herself.
She didn’t for a moment believe that Polius could ever persuade the legendary actor Robio Tamdaje.
As if that kind of miracle would ever happen to someone like Polius.
After all—he wasn’t the protagonist of a story.
