WPVMVA Chapter 64

Melia told her that this Mrs. Bernard had died a long time ago and that her family had all scattered, their whereabouts unknown.

Moreover, the letter only confirmed that Duke Enchanto had investigated the security vulnerabilities of the Empress’s palace. She couldn’t find any direct evidence to prove that Empress Catherine had directly ordered Empress Yulia’s murder.

‘Where in the world did Duke Enchanto hide the letters he exchanged with Empress Catherine?’ Daniela was lost in thought when she heard a knock on the bedroom door. Gray entered. Daniela smiled at her and said,

“Hello, Gray. Don’t you need your crutches anymore?”

“No. The doctor said I’d have no problem walking without them as long as I don’t overexert myself,” Gray said, slightly lifting her left leg. Daniela motioned to the chair across from her. Gray sat down and began her report.

“The ducal house’s budget is being executed smoothly as per your wishes, and the guild is operating without a hitch.”

“That’s good. How’s the theater troupe?” Daniela asked.

Gray smiled meaningfully. “It’s so successful that it’s hard to get tickets these days. Everyone talks about how the love story between a noblewoman and a commoner knight is disgraceful and goes against the customs of the empire, but they secretly pay a premium to get tickets to our opera.”

“Really?”

“Yes. On top of that, nobles who want to see the opera but don’t want to be seen have started coming in masks, and now it’s become a bit of a trend. These days, even commoners are wearing masks to watch our opera. The number of street vendors selling masks in front of the theater has grown significantly.”

“That’s great! Lysander must be happy, right?”

“Oh, don’t even get me started. He said that thanks to you, his work has finally seen the light. He sat down and wept, saying you were the benefactor of his life. It was a struggle to comfort him,” Gray said, waving her hand as if annoyed.

Daniela laughed heartily and continued, “Then we can proceed with the charity work without worrying about money, right? How’s the hospital I told you to build? Will it be completed this month without any issues?”

“Yes. It should be able to begin operations without a hitch by next week at the latest.”

“Tell the doctors at the hospital that I will generously provide both money and medicine, so they should do their best to treat the patients.”

‘If this charity work succeeds, Ashid’s reputation will improve even more, and people will gradually start to think he’s not entirely a bad person.’

In that case, even if Ashid were to do something a little cruel, he wouldn’t be rejected and shunned as he was in the original story, ending in ruin. As his co-destiny, she would also be safe until their contract ended.

Daniela nodded with a satisfied look, guessing her plan was working. Gray looked at her with a strange expression and said out of the blue, “The Grand Duke has truly gained a wonderful wife.”

“…Huh?”

“It’s such a relief that you are the Grand Duchess. And it’s an honor for me to serve a person like you. I should thank Sir Dare over and over again.”

At her words, Daniela’s cheeks flushed slightly with embarrassment and shyness.

“Thank you for saying that. I’m also glad that you’re my administrator.”

“You’re welcome.” Gray smiled kindly in return.

The Meeting with the Playwright

After finishing her report, Gray was about to leave the bedroom when she let out a short gasp as if she had just remembered something.

“Oh, I forgot to mention something.”

“What is it?”

“Lysander said he wanted to meet you in person to thank you.”

“Hmm, really?”

“What should I do? Should I refuse?”

Daniela thought for a moment and then said, “No, I’ll meet him. I want to hear how the troupe is doing directly, and I want to tell Lysander that he did a great job.”

“Understood. I’ll let Lysander know your wishes.” With that, Gray respectfully bowed and left.

When Gray informed Lysander of Daniela’s decision, he expressed his desire to meet with her as early as the next day. Daniela immediately scheduled an appointment for noon the following day. Since she only read documents or books in her bedroom every day, she had plenty of time for him.

As promised, Lysander arrived at the ducal mansion at noon. Daniela was seated in the drawing room to greet him. He had said he was delighted to have become rich thanks to the first opera’s huge success, and just as he said, he was dressed neatly, unlike when she first met him.

“Lysander Wills greets the beautiful Duchess of Alberich!”

“It’s been a while. You’ve been well?”

“Of course. It’s all thanks to you, Your Grace! Thanks to you, I no longer have to worry about my actors’ salaries! I can finally stop worrying about my wife and children’s next meal as well!”

“That’s a relief.”

“In that regard, this is a gift from me, Grand Duchess!” Lysander answered Daniela’s words with a constant grin and then suddenly held out a palm-sized box to her.

Daniela, with a bewildered expression, looked back and forth between the box and Lysander’s face and asked, “What’s this?”

“Please open it.” Lysander urged, holding the box even closer to her. Daniela took it and carefully opened it.

Inside the box was a small mask that could cover the eyes. With its soft white silk lining and a trim of rubies and spinels, the mask was clearly a luxury item. Surprised by the unexpectedly expensive gift, Daniela murmured, “Oh, you really shouldn’t have…”

“It’s a mask I made myself, exclusively for you. It may seem humble to you, but please accept it as a token of my sincerity.”

“No, it’s not humble at all. It’s really beautiful… Thank you. I’ll treasure it.” Daniela said, placing the box on her lap. Lysander, who had been nervously watching her since handing her the gift, finally smiled brightly. Daniela smiled back at him kindly and spoke.

“Are there any particular difficulties in running the troupe?”

“No. Besides the occasional lead actor catching a cold or the artisans failing to deliver props on time, there are no problems at all!”

“That’s a relief. Please continue to run it well. And please make the next production as great as this one.”

However, upon hearing Daniela’s words, Lysander’s expression darkened slightly. He couldn’t hide his look of worry and said, “…Hah. Yes, I’ll try my best.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Did I put pressure on you? Don’t worry about my words and just take it easy.”

“No! It’s not your fault, Your Grace! It’s just because of my own overly meticulous personality!” As Daniela apologized, noticing his mood, Lysander frantically waved his hands. He then complained, “The truth is, I didn’t expect this opera to do so well. But now that it has, I find myself wanting more. I’ve been agonizing over how to make the next one more interesting and provocative, but also original and of high quality, and… I haven’t been able to write a single line for the next opera.”

“I see.”

“Yes. So, if it’s not too much to ask… could you perhaps lend me some help?”

“Me?”

“Yes. What kind of story would you like to see? A romantic romance? Or an adventure story with a dragon, a knight, and a holy grail?”

At his words, Daniela fell into deep thought. Recalling the fairytales she read as a child, the romance fantasy novels she read before transmigrating, and the recent novels she’d read to pass the time, she said without thinking, “Well, a story about a boy who witnesses his mother’s wrongful death, becomes a wonderful knight, and takes revenge…?”

At that moment, Lysander’s face lit up as he exclaimed, “That’s a great idea! It sounds very interesting!”

At the same time, Daniela realized what she had just said and gasped.

‘I’m insane! What did I just say?!’

What she had just said was unmistakably the story of Ashid’s past and present. Daniela’s face turned pale. What she had just said was a clear mistake. If she let this go, she would become a person who wanted to turn someone else’s tragic past into an opera. She said in a flustered voice,