Chapter – 17
“Yes. Not a romantic feeling between a man and a woman…”
“I understand what you mean.”
The Duke Orelrno, shrouded in darkness, tilted his head slightly and whispered lowly into my ear.
“You’re surprisingly naïve.”
I couldn’t believe the question piercing my ear like a dagger.
“Have you ever truly liked someone, Your Highness?”
In all the time before and after I was possessed, had I ever been attacked with such a ridiculously melodramatic line straight out of a drama? Even my father never spoke to me like this! Well… maybe he did.
When my father coldly ignored me, I knew how to respond. But now…
‘How am I supposed to respond in this situation?’
If it were before the possession, I would have just retorted, “Mind your own business!” But as the princess, the situation was different.
Meanwhile, the Duke Orelrno threw all his usual elegance out the window and began spouting absurdities.
“All the things I conveyed to you from the author were entirely negative. And yet, you speak of love? Either your heart is vast, or you have no idea what the word ‘love’ even means.”
“Wait, it’s just the way I expressed it…”
“And you don’t even know the author’s face, do you?”
His pleasant, soft voice was laden with contempt.
“It’s amusing to see you act so proud, claiming to know the author’s face, Your Highness.”
Naturally, I responded to his sarcasm with my own.
“I never said I regarded the author as a fiancé! You call me naïve? I merely admitted, honestly, how sad I feel as a reader. Yet now I’m some clueless lady who doesn’t understand the world, which is even sadder. I’m not foolishly giving my family’s seal ring to some bad man, so this is downright unfair.”
The Duke said nothing. Remembering something I hadn’t heard last time, I pressed him further.
“…I’m genuinely curious. Have you ever experienced love, Your Highness?”
With my mouth now unrestrained, I gripped the round brim of my hat tightly, letting every word drip with anger.
“You’ve been lecturing me as if you’re some authority on love. Since you clearly understand love so well, please, enlighten me.”
The Duke Orelrno, hidden in darkness, now began to openly sneer.
“I simply couldn’t bear it because your actions, Princess, are so foolish. I committed this rudeness against you. Why give your whole heart to someone just because of a few scraps of paper? Why be obsessed with a story written on paper? I cannot understand a princess like you.”
His words were no longer an attack; they were sheer venting. I was beyond flabbergasted—this was downright infuriating. I released my tongue without restraint.
“Then don’t try to understand. Love is foolish, that’s why.”
…How dare he say something like that to me.
I paused, my heart pounding as if I’d swallowed fire, took a deep breath, and whispered into his ear again, this time with pure anger.
“There are limits to pointing out someone’s foolish actions. But you, Your Highness, have crossed that line. We are not close, and you are not my father.”
“…”
“Who cares if someone loves a person or a character in a book? Did I insult anyone? Break any law of the kingdom? Oh, I merely made you uncomfortable? Well, if that’s all, then I see no reason to apologize.”
The orchestra began to swell. The crimson curtains parted to the sides, and the Duke’s face became faintly visible again.
…To my surprise, his haughty face looked at me with wide eyes, alert and cautious.
His pupils shimmered blue, catching the sunset-like light from the stage, showing genuine shock.
I couldn’t understand why, but I knew this for sure: the Duke had fully revealed his unmasked face to me.
“Why… why like this…?”
Someone in the back row leaned toward us and whispered “Shh,” drawing out the sound to signal that the play had begun and to stay quiet.
I had no choice but to turn my attention back to the stage, carrying a mix of defeat and lingering questions. The Duke also readjusted his posture.
The Safranette Theater, known for its strict audience etiquette, usually demanded absolute decorum. But when Kaitlyn staged its fifth performance, the situation began to shift.
“Sarah Francis!”
“Whoa! Aizar, the most beautiful!”
“Looking forward to today’s performance!”
The person in the back who warned us muttered a tiny curse, but it was drowned out by the loud cheers, applause, and whistles of the crowd.
People from all over had gathered with excitement and curiosity. The guards could no longer remove disruptive audience members, as the theater had already learned to tolerate some commotion.
Though critics grumbled that the performances had declined compared to the past, critics couldn’t save the theater from financial trouble anyway.
Even as a patron supporting Kaitlyn, I was also a fervent reader of author Ibur, so where was the problem? There was none.
The play resumed in earnest.
Even though the male lead had changed, Sarah maintained her passionate performance, capturing all emotions as usual.
Thanks to that, the strange feelings I had toward Duke Orelrno began to fade naturally.
“…Then who is it?”
A warm, thick breath suddenly swept past my ear, making every hair stand on end.
“The one you truly loved, as a rational being, Princess…”
I nearly jumped out of my seat, utterly shocked. Heat of surprise and anger flushed through my face, but I forced myself to calm down.
“I don’t want to say. If you keep distracting me from the play, I’ll call the guards.”
“You’ve already come five times, Princess. Surely you can indulge a small conversation with me.”
Even such an irritating whisper somehow felt sweet, as if it were a talent of its own.
But the play was more important. I whispered just loud enough for him to hear:
“I’ll tell you after Act One. Even though this is my fifth time watching, I’m a serious audience member who needs to concentrate.”
By then, the Duke quietly turned his gaze back to the stage. The contours of his face and jaw were so sharp they could rival the theater’s ornate decorations.
We silently watched the fifth performance together.
The heroine Kaitlyn witnessed the horrors of war, regained her composure, and overcame crises using her innate skill in swordsmanship…
Then a new star—no, one I hadn’t even realized was present—appeared.
Act One ended with a solo stage where Arcus, having entered the war for the sake of avenging loved ones, sang his story to Kaitlyn.
The applause and cheers were so deafening that my worries about the novice actor performing well vanished entirely.
The theater seemed about to collapse. Amid the chaos, I was already crying. I wasn’t alone—hearing sniffles beside me, even Tasha struggled to contain her emotions.
Fans like me, returning for repeated viewings, went wild.
I knew every plot twist, every sound effect—yet this new thrill still hit me like a jolt.
“My goodness, such a clear voice, and he fits Arcus perfectly! A gem almost missed its light! No, it did see the light, but we almost got to it too late—!”
I lost myself, chatting and shouting with Tasha like mad.
Yet… something felt off. It was as if I was missing something.
