MILWTG 125

~Chapter 125~

Marie looked confused.

“I’m just going to my seat.”

The Florence baron’s wife smiled slyly.

“But Lady Hern, your seat is right here. Where else are you going?”

She showed Marie the name card with Marie’s name on it.

“Look, it says Marie Hern right here.”

“I saw it too. But I think there’s a mistake. Because…”

Marie glanced at the back of the Florence baron, who had sat down first. He was facing forward, but she could feel him paying close attention to every word she said.

‘Because I’m not anything to the baron. Why would I sit in a couple’s seat with him?’

But she couldn’t say that out loud.

“I think there’s been a mix-up, maybe a servant put the card in the wrong place? That seat must be yours, not mine.”

The second-floor balcony was visible from everywhere in the opera house. If she sat in a two-person seat with the baron, people would misunderstand. There was only one person she wanted people to misunderstand her with.

Right then…

“I’ll show Lady Hern to her seat, so I’ll go to mine now.”

“Alright, enjoy the opera.”

“Yes.”

‘…Huh?’

Marie, who’d been listening to Damian and the Florence baron’s wife, looked down at the floor.

For a second, she felt like she was falling. But the floor was perfectly normal.

‘Why is Damian leaving me here alone?’

“Lady Hern, enjoy the show.”

“Uh, um…”

Marie called out quietly, but Damian just left through the velvet curtain.

She rubbed her hand on her dress where she’d reached out to him.

‘Where am I supposed to sit?’

She stood there in a daze, mind crumbling.

“Why are you standing? Come sit down.”

She turned her head. The baron was pointing to the seat beside him with a sly grin.

“Yes, Lady Hern. There’s a seat here—why are you standing?” said the baron’s wife.

Marie quickly tried to think. She wanted to glare at the baron and leave him humiliated, then rush out and run to Damian’s side. If Damian would only take her side, nothing else would matter.

But…

‘Would he stand up for me?’

He just left her here without looking back.

Marie’s fingers curled with disappointment. She realized Damian had no intention of choosing her.

Her feet started to move on their own. She walked stiffly, like a broken doll, and sat next to the smiling baron.

‘Do I really have no other options? Maybe, maybe…’

Marie looked around the crowded opera house. She saw society people she knew on every floor—even some she’d dated. But they all had new dates or even fiancées with them.

All her backup options were gone.

Then, from behind, the baron’s wife asked—maybe it was a question, maybe a tease:

“Don’t want to sit down?”

Marie quickly hid her feelings and sat in the seat she’d wanted so badly to avoid.

If she didn’t get married and had to return to her father’s house, she’d be sent to marry some old man. Now, the baron was her only chance to avoid that fate.

‘At least living with the baron would be less disgusting than marrying a grandpa… Right? Right?’

Marie looked at the Florence baron. He was young and not ugly, so why did he always give her the creeps?

“It’s an honor to watch the opera with you, baron.”

She smiled, and the baron slid his hand across to touch hers.

He gently rubbed her hand and grinned.

“Just relax and enjoy. I’m right here beside you.”

At that moment, a servant came in, carrying a chair for Kim Si-eom as she had asked.

“Madam, should I put it here?”

“Yes.”

She sat and quietly watched her oldest son and Marie.

Her son was beaming every time Marie sat beside him, while Marie seemed to be biting her lip to hold something in.

‘You really don’t like my son?’

She was angry inside, but remembered the fortune-teller’s words—that if Marie became her daughter-in-law, the family would get rich. She calmed herself.

‘I’d better break her spirit before the wedding.’

That way, her sensitive son wouldn’t get hurt. And as the fortune-teller said, it was time to leave the capital and head west.

She’d spent her whole life for her sons. Maybe, just maybe, there was a reward for her out west.

Kim Si-eom blushed, feeling like a young girl for the first time in decades.

In the center balcony on the second floor…

Riden lowered her opera glasses.

‘As expected of Mrs. Kim Si-eom. She really acts fast.’

Her former brother-in-law and manager sitting cozily together—she thought it was a funny sight.

Riden had made sure Marie would end up with her brother-in-law before she could ruin another family. But thinking of Marie’s past life, she wondered if their marriage would last.

‘Maybe they’ll do fine since they’re equally unimpressive.’

Riden covered her mouth and giggled.

Ethan, who’d been reading an opera booklet, suddenly put it down and leaned in.

“What’s so funny?”

Merrick, sitting behind them, peeked between the seats.

“What is it?”

“Nothing.”

“Aw…”

But then Merrick stuck his head between the seats again.

“By the way, Lady, do you know much about tonight’s opera premiere?”

Of course she did. Riden took in the view of the huge opera house.

The theater buzzed with excitement before the performance. On the first floor, nobles hurried to find seats. On every level, ladies in beautiful dresses laughed and fanned themselves.

Even though it was her first opera in this world, she could feel the energy in the air.

Today was the premiere of Verdi’s “La Traviata.”

“Of course, I know. I read the booklet carefully.”

“And about the nobles’ bets?”

“Bets?”

Riden looked confused, so Merrick continued with a smile.

“You must have seen the booklet—the story is pretty shocking, right?”

A romance between a courtesan and a rich young man was very bold for this world.

“So the nobles are betting on whether the show will be a hit or a flop. Until the first intermission, they’re taking bets in the second-floor lounge. If you’re interested, you should try it too.”

Riden’s eyes sparkled.