Chapter 13

Eventually, we arrived at the theater. As I stepped into the luxurious lobby with Lord Zain’s escort, I could immediately tell that all eyes were on us.

The people, dressed in colorful and splendid attire, who seemed to be nobles, were all looking at us with surprise.

“Oh, it’s Lord Zain! How wonderful!”

“Still, it’s quite unusual for him to walk with a lady other than Lady Mariabel, isn’t it?”

Indeed, the women all seemed to be excited by his presence. And of course, their gazes were directed at me as well.

“Who is the lady next to him? She’s so beautiful.”

“Since she’s walking with Lord Zain, she must be very noble.”

Such conversations reached my ears, and I almost blurted out, “Huh?” but quickly held back.

It seemed that due to the drastic change in my appearance, no one had realized that I was Grace.

“What a beautiful lady. I envy the Duke.”

“You’ll be killed if the fiancée hears that. But, such a beautiful woman is enviable, isn’t it?”

The men also seemed to be complimenting me, and I had thought that if this continued without being noticed, it would be peaceful.

“Miss Grace, are you not tired?”

“Huh? Oh, no, I’m fine.”

Lord Zain, with a smile that was blinding, leaned in unusually close and clearly said, “Miss Grace,” causing the atmosphere to suddenly become noisy.

“Could it be, Grace Sentbury...?”

“She looks completely different.”

We had only been walking for about five minutes since getting out of the carriage, yet it seemed that I looked as if I lacked stamina.

However, I thought this might be a gentleman’s consideration, so I thanked him and returned a smile, saying I was fine.

“No way. What kind of change in her mindset could this be?”

“Oh, she’s finally making a move on Lord Zain.”

“Why would Lord Zain choose Miss Grace...”

Amidst this, the admiring gazes quickly turned to accusatory ones.

Most likely, they thought I was holding some leverage over Lord Zain and was forcing myself on him. That’s exactly right.

“She’s not a match for Lord Zain.”

Indeed, I thought Charlotte would be a better match for him as I walked through the lobby.

The walls, uniformly decorated in white and gold, were adorned with paintings of past performances, making it enjoyable just to walk and look around.

Unaware that Lord Zain was watching me intently, I was completely absorbed in the dazzling world.

Eventually, we were led to a very spacious private room on the second floor, with two unusually large chairs placed there.

The view was surprisingly good, and although this was my first time in such a place, I immediately understood that it must be a very expensive premium seat.

“Miss Grace, this seat offers a better view.”

“Yes, I see. Then, Lord Zain, you take that one. I’ll sit here.”

When I said this, Lord Zain looked a bit perplexed. I wondered if, in a lady-first manner, I should have taken the other seat, and I nervously sat down in the other chair.

“Today’s performance is about love, isn’t it?”

“Yes, I’ve heard it’s popular among women.”

“I’m really looking forward to it. Thank you.”

Although the distance between us made conversation difficult, I was determined to enjoy the opera to the fullest and focused my gaze on the stage.

Soon, the theater darkened, and the opera began.

“Wow... amazing...!”

The stage, enhanced by magic, was truly beautiful and fantastical, and I couldn’t help but exclaim in awe. It felt as if I had entered a fairy tale world, and I forgot to blink, completely absorbed.

The story of the opera was like a fantasy version of Cinderella, about an unfortunate girl who meets her destined partner, falls in love, and finds happiness.

“... ... ...”

The protagonist, who had always given up on everything since childhood, finally wished for happiness and the male protagonist’s efforts to fulfill that wish brought tears to my eyes.

The two, who cared deeply for each other, were so beautiful and wonderful that my heart was full. My handkerchief was soaked with tears.

– Could I ever have such a love? Could there ever be a day when I fall in love and am loved?

Thinking that even as a woman, I still dream of a once-in-a-lifetime love, I continued to applaud even after the curtain fell.

“... Miss Grace?”

“Huh, yes!”

Completely forgetting Lord Zain’s presence and absorbed in the world of the opera, I was startled back to reality when my name was called.

Lord Zain, seeing me in tears, looked perplexed. I couldn’t help but feel that this was beyond the cute gap I was trying to create.

“S-Sorry! I was so moved... Thank you for inviting me to such a wonderful opera. I’ll go freshen up my makeup.”

My face, undoubtedly a mess from tears, I said I would freshen up and hurriedly left my seat. Although I regretted crying so much, it was an incredibly moving masterpiece that I couldn’t help but be moved to tears. It was irresistible.

I was led to a rest room by a staff member and tried to fix my makeup. As I was about to return, I was called by a voice in the hallway.

“... Oh, what is it?”

Turning around, I saw a beautiful woman with flowing black hair, who looked like a typical villainess. Her irritated aura made her seem anything but a friend of Grace.

“What trick did you use to get close to Lord Zain?”

“What would I gain by telling you?”

She seemed to be one of the young ladies who admired Lord Zain.

Feeling that I had given a rather villainous response, I smiled confidently. It was a perfect scene of villainess vs. villainess.

The woman laughed derisively.

“You weren’t even allowed to sit in the same seat. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s pitiful.”

“Huh...?”

Please, just wait a moment. It seemed that the two of us were supposed to sit together on that long bench.

‘So, Lord Zain will sit there. I’ll sit here.’

‘... I understand. If that’s what you want.’

Lord Zain’s perplexed expression now made sense. I had made a terrible misunderstanding. I had no idea about this.

Even though I said I liked him, sitting so far away like that was a natural reaction. I was a complete tsundere. I had turned a chance to get closer into a crisis.

“Listen, Lord Zain is different from the men you’ve played with before –”

What should I do? It’s impossible that Grace didn’t know this, and I was desperately trying to come up with an excuse.

Meanwhile, the woman in front of me was getting increasingly irritated and heated up.

Although everything she said was true, I was about to respond in a way that would be fitting for Grace when suddenly, a super handsome man with a radiant aura appeared.

“Bella, your beautiful voice is echoing through the hallway.”

“L-Lanhart-sama...!”

The man, with golden hair that seemed to gather light and amethyst-like eyes, was smiling brightly.

Lanhart, who was flamboyant and flashy, seemed rather frivolous. He appeared to be very experienced with women.

“Come on, shall we go? Or is it not me?”

“No, no, that’s not it.”

The woman, blushing and looking flustered, suddenly became docile. Was any handsome man good enough for her?

I didn’t understand, but I was grateful for the help. He winked at me and left.

“... Did he save me?”

Grateful to the mysterious handsome man, I hurried back to Lord Zain.