At that time, there was another person who, like Marilyn, could not sleep and was anxious.
The main character was Revan, who was trying to fill his back pockets but ended up closing down the theater and temporarily closing down without receiving his money.
One of the members who had been practicing late into the night suddenly came running up to me and asked.
“Captain, what happens to us now?”
“How would I know that?”
It's already been over three days since it was abandoned.
You fucking bitch. I'll just put some emergency money in my back pocket and then I won't say anything.
He hadn't even received a single penny, but then she suddenly barged in and interfered, ruining everything like a ghost... and even stopped the performance.
“Life sucks...”
The opportunity to hit the jackpot was right in front of him, and he missed it like this.
The past few days have been soaring, but the fall has been just as quick.
An unbearable hunger came over him. Having already tasted the sweetness of success, he could not bear the fact that he was even more empty-handed.
Revan leaned back and stared up at the freshly painted ceiling.
'If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have been so greedy and done everything I was told.'
He drank alcohol, filled with regret for his actions as well as doubts about the life he had lived.
“If only I could come and find you...”
It was clear that with his status, he would never be able to reach the threshold of the Marquis' mansion, let alone come near it.
“Yeah, it’s no use regretting it now.”
He was becoming a wreck, unable to escape from the pit of regret and berating himself for his own ignorance.
Mine came to see him, who was eating or not, locked in the dormitory, smelling of alcohol, and handed him some bread with her small hands.
“Ugh.”
Although it was an old black bread that he no longer even looked at, it brought back memories of his colleagues with whom he had shared joys and sorrows.
That was the moment.
A voice was heard, like a ray of light striking him.
“Have you been reflecting on yourself?”
“...!”
Although she still had a bit of a boyish look, her voice was full of an overwhelming authority that made her eyes light up.
Her guide who had grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and brought him to the brink of success, and her prophet whom he had kicked away with his own feet.
Dorothea opened the door and entered, staring blankly at Revan, who was rushing toward her in a hurry.
Wood, who had been following Dorothea with a reluctant expression, quickly reached out his hand when he saw Revan running towards her, but his hand only waved in the air.
That was understandable because as soon as Revan ran towards her, he stopped and lay flat on his stomach.
“I reflected on it. I reflected on it a lot! It will never happen again!”
The voice full of moisture had soon turned into a wail.
Dorothea stared blankly at the tears soaking the hem of her dress, then touched her ears, which had become dull from the loud noise.
Wood, who had been fumbling around and looking embarrassed, looked down at Revan, who was lying face down with a helpless look on his face.
“Really? Did you reflect well?”
Revan, who had been crying like a little child, nodded his head madly.
'Fortunately, he'll be more well-behaved from now on.'
Dorothea was satisfied with that, as she knew that he wouldn't be talking nonsense like putting on another useless performance or making a play to suit the tastes of the nobility.
Unlike Dorothea, Wood crumpled his face and cast a pitiful look at the half-conscious Revan.
“You’re an old friend? Didn’t you say you were supporting me with good feelings?”
“We’re old friends, Revan. We’re on pretty good terms, aren’t we?”
Revan nodded quickly at Dorothea's words, his nose tingling in his voice.
“Yes, I want to continue to do so and I will do my best to do so.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he blew his nose. Mine, who had been waiting next to him, ran over and handed him a cloth to wipe his runny nose.
At his actions, filled with a sense of duty, not to soil even a single hem of Dorothea's dress, Revan quickly wiped his face and looked up with an earnest expression.
“I will really do better from now on. I will listen well and do whatever you ask me to do.”
"Yes."
There's no reason to tell someone not to do something if they said they would do it. And it's good if he listens to what she says.
Dorothea simply nodded to Revan, who agreed to do so, but Wood, who was behind her, looked at her with a very disgusted expression.
“What on earth have you done?”
“I didn’t do anything special.”
They just do it on their own.
It was a bit unfair for Dorothea. There was no reason for her to stop Revan from swearing allegiance on his own.
Anyway, as Wood's impudent gaze continued, Dorothea glanced down and asked.
“Would it be better for you to just let go and live as a man?”
Revan, whose eyes rolled back at that question, grabbed Wood, who was a head taller than him, by the collar.
There was nothing to be afraid of since he was already out of his mind.
“This kid is crazy. Why are you throwing thorns on someone else’s path and making a fuss about it!”
Wood was greatly embarrassed by the bold words that revealed the true nature of the thug who once ruled the back alleys.
Then he quickly grabbed Revan's shoulder, whose eyes had already rolled back, and shook him.
“Wake up. Getting involved with her is the surest way to ruin your life.”
“This is the life I chose! I’m going to go my own way!”
“Okay, let him go his own way.”
When Dorothea added, Wood was caught by the collar and was speechless.
'Where on earth did it go wrong?'
He just said a few kind words to save a poor human being, but the other person is treating him like an enemy who is going to grab him by the collar and kill him.
Dorothea clapped her hands lightly.
“Go wash up and come back, Revan.”
"Yep!"
Revan, who had quietly let go of Wood's collar, nodded obediently.
Dorothea patted Mine's head, who had come to her side, and gave instructions to the other members.
“Get ready to welcome our guests.”
“Is there a guest?”
“Yes, Count Germain will be coming.”
Everyone's eyes were filled with curiosity at the deep smile on Dorothea's lips. Soon, everyone moved in unison.
The sponsor, who had barely returned after crying and hanging on to the leader, Revan, made sure not to abandon them again.
***
Count Germain, who visited the theater with his eldest son, looked around at the director and members of the theater who ignored him as if he were a passing stone within a few days.
Despite the fancy food on the table, they didn't seem at all welcoming of Count Germain's visit.
Dorothea took a big bite of the sandwich she had brought from the mansion with a satisfied look on her face.
“The members’ attitudes have changed since I last saw them.”
“That’s right. I guess everyone’s feelings have changed.”
HlShe didn't specifically say that they shouldn't receive sponsorship.
The only reason the show was put on hold was to honor Count Germain's request. There was no intention of transferring the theater to anyone, or closing it down, or reorganizing it.
Giving them some time to rest seemed to have made them uneasy.
'I was planning on continuing to put on performances and occasionally having you run errands, so I told you to rest for the time being.'
Seeing how motivated Revan was, she thought she should just let him roll without worrying too much.
Dorothea turned her gaze from the Count, who was looking at her with unreadable eyes, to his eldest son standing beside him.
His face was very pale as if he was having a hard time accepting his brother's death.
Considering that he came all the way here with his father despite his poor condition, was it a bad thing that he instigated the attack on the carriage?
Dorothea, who had put down her half-eaten sandwich, opened her mouth to him.
“I think this is probably the first time I’ve met the little Count. I’m sorry about what happened to your younger brother.”
The serious voice of a man who had been keeping his mouth shut the whole time rang out.
“Nice to meet you, Young Lady. My name is Chase Germain.”
Dorothea, who was looking at him with a faint smile, got straight to the point.
“We’ve definitely met for the first time and have no particular grudge. The performance has been stopped as requested by Count Germain.”
“...”
“But why did you instigate his death?”
The Marquis of Highclere is the guardian of the imperial family and a prestigious family.
Even if Dorothea had taken measures of her own, such as keeping Dane's mouth shut, it was only a matter of time before the Marquis of Highclere learned the whole story.
“My grandfather would never forgive anything that threatens me. My maternal uncles would be the same. You did something for nothing.”
Count Germain closed his eyes with a gaunt face.
Chase immediately shook his head.
“I’m sorry, Young Ladt. But there has clearly been a misunderstanding. I indeed followed Young Lady. However, I know nothing about the carriage accident.”
“Is that so? According to the investigation, the mercenary guild received the request directly from the Count.”
The commission that Philip had smuggled was flawless. Not only did it bear the Count's seal, but the extra money he had given in addition to the previous commission was also enormous.
Of course, no matter how important the money was, he would not have resorted to such a crazy method as raiding the writer's secret hideout in broad daylight...
It was extremely suspicious that everyone made and acted irrationally as if they were 'possessed by something'.
'It seems that Count Germain didn't even know that his eldest son was investigating me.'
If Chase really wasn't involved in the assassination, then someone was trying to deal with Dorothea using his name.
It's worth a try though.
'The Mercenary Guild won't be so quick to hand over their people.'
But if you let things get out of hand, your family will find out.
That's not what she wanted.
Dorothea, who had finished organizing her thoughts in her head, nodded with a relaxed expression.
“At least, unlike me who gave in to the Count’s unreasonable demands, the fact that the little Count had me tailed remains the same.”
Chase's face darkened in an instant, and he chewed his lips slowly before lowering his body and kneeling.
“It was my own decision, unrelated to my father.”
Count Germain turned away from his son with a very pained expression on his face.
He seemed quite heartbroken, but at least he didn't seem to have come all this way to defend his son or make excuses.
“Perhaps the little Count would not have wanted to take my life, but what else?”
Dorothea lowered her eyes, looking at the strange light in the young man's eyes, and spoke slowly.
“Before coming here, I stopped by the mansion of Lady Marilyn, who had been in a coma.”
“...”
“She said something very strange. She said that the face she saw when she was attacked looked very familiar.”
The young man's face, which had been puzzled, turned pale.
Looking at his feeble-looking face, Dorothea recited the names of the dead, one by one.
“Raymond German.”
“...”
“He is the culprit who attacked me.”
"It does not make sense...!"
Count Germain jumped to his feet and looked between Dorothea and his son in disbelief.
Unlike Dorothea, who was still relaxed, he seemed to have realized that something was seriously wrong when he saw his son's face, which was almost half-souled.
“Isn’t it really strange that someone who has already been made up is walking around the streets and attacking people?”
She didn't know what was inhabiting the body of the dead man, but at least it wasn't the spirit of Raymond Germain. Dorothea, who had thrown the bomb with a strange voice, finished the sandwich she had put down and put it in her mouth.
“I think it would be best for Count to tell me the whole story of the incident from now on, without a single lie.”
Otherwise, who knows what the 'empty body' wandering around outside right now will do.
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