That night, Edward was in a good mood as he joined a card-playing party among noble men.
It was a gathering where only the heads of the families and the nobles of the most prestigious families attended.
Edward met Marquis Rainer there and greeted him warmly.
“Hello, Marquis. It’s nice to see you here!”
“Oh, Count Lopez. I understand that tomorrow is the first rehearsal for the opera commemorating the feast of St. Verdict. Is it okay for me to be here?”
Marquis Rainer was a young man with a sad expression.
However, the look behind his innocent eyes was not so easygoing.
“Haha. So what? I finished the song, and it’s up to the performers to perform it.”
“Hmm.”
Reiner’s gaze turned to Edward as he stared blankly. Edward clicked his tongue inwardly.
‘You’re an investor, but you’re acting so dirty.’
Edward knew very well that Marquis Rainer, who seemed kind, was more calculating than anyone else.
After all, he was almost the only noble who was friendly with Dante Heigenberg. Hanging out with such a murderer would be something that most people wouldn’t care about.
Edward was downing a glass of alcohol to hide his discomfort.
“You know, right, Count? This opera is a very important opportunity.”
“...Of course, Marquis. I’m doing my best.”
“Rather than a premiere on a shabby stage, it might be better to stage a re-performance of <The Sacred Taboo>.”
“Huh? <The Sacred Taboo>...?”
Edward blinked as if it was a sudden question.
<The Sacred Taboo> was the signature play of the Lopez Opera House, but it had been quite some time since the last performance.
And the signature aria of that opera was...
“Oh, I heard a reinterpretation of ‘On Possession’ a little while ago.”
“Huh? A reinterpretation of ‘On Possession’?”
“Oh. Is this the first time you’ve heard of it? I thought it must have been Count Lopez who touched it since the quality is so great.”
“Oh... is that so?”
Edward gritted his teeth inwardly as he struggled to answer calmly.
“Who dares to touch my song?”
Most of the time, it was tacitly tolerated when a song was played in a bar or on the street, but arrangements were a different story.
“Insolent bastard! Whoever it is, I’ll have to stomp on them so they never play again.”
“I know it’s rude to say this, but it was more impressive than the original.”
Edward froze as if he were stoned at Marquis Rainer’s words with a smile.
“...Yes?”
“Oh, of course, the original song was really great, but the flute part in the latter half... I couldn’t help but feel like it had unnecessary frills attached to it.”
Edward’s face turned pale.
The flute part in the latter half didn’t really exist in the ‘original song.’ It was something that Edward added later that wasn’t in Ariana’s first draft.
It was one of Edward’s few pure originals.
“But he removed all that and inserted a long interlude instead. It was longer than the usual interlude, so at first I was suspicious, but as I listened, there was something very touching about it.”
“...”
“How about finding that performer and collaborating with him? If you re-enact it in a new version, the audience will definitely flock.”
Edward clenched his fists so hard that they would break.
‘What does a guy who only plays for money know about art? The frills? Damn it!’
He wanted to grab Marquis Rainer by the collar right there.
It was a deep humiliation to have just listened to that insulting remark.
‘Damn it... If only the opera house was more successful.’
Then, whether it was Marquis Rainer or Marquis Pedegrin, he wouldn’t have to worry about anyone’s feelings.
He had to endure for now, for the day when he could fully display his artistic world.
It was a gathering where only the heads of the families and the nobles of the most prestigious families attended.
Edward met Marquis Rainer there and greeted him warmly.
“Hello, Marquis. It’s nice to see you here!”
“Oh, Count Lopez. I understand that tomorrow is the first rehearsal for the opera commemorating the feast of St. Verdict. Is it okay for me to be here?”
Marquis Rainer was a young man with a sad expression.
However, the look behind his innocent eyes was not so easygoing.
“Haha. So what? I finished the song, and it’s up to the performers to perform it.”
“Hmm.”
Reiner’s gaze turned to Edward as he stared blankly. Edward clicked his tongue inwardly.
‘You’re an investor, but you’re acting so dirty.’
Edward knew very well that Marquis Rainer, who seemed kind, was more calculating than anyone else.
After all, he was almost the only noble who was friendly with Dante Heigenberg. Hanging out with such a murderer would be something that most people wouldn’t care about.
Edward was downing a glass of alcohol to hide his discomfort.
“You know, right, Count? This opera is a very important opportunity.”
“...Of course, Marquis. I’m doing my best.”
“Rather than a premiere on a shabby stage, it might be better to stage a re-performance of <The Sacred Taboo>.”
“Huh? <The Sacred Taboo>...?”
Edward blinked as if it was a sudden question.
<The Sacred Taboo> was the signature play of the Lopez Opera House, but it had been quite some time since the last performance.
And the signature aria of that opera was...
“Oh, I heard a reinterpretation of ‘On Possession’ a little while ago.”
“Huh? A reinterpretation of ‘On Possession’?”
“Oh. Is this the first time you’ve heard of it? I thought it must have been Count Lopez who touched it since the quality is so great.”
“Oh... is that so?”
Edward gritted his teeth inwardly as he struggled to answer calmly.
“Who dares to touch my song?”
Most of the time, it was tacitly tolerated when a song was played in a bar or on the street, but arrangements were a different story.
“Insolent bastard! Whoever it is, I’ll have to stomp on them so they never play again.”
“I know it’s rude to say this, but it was more impressive than the original.”
Edward froze as if he were stoned at Marquis Rainer’s words with a smile.
“...Yes?”
“Oh, of course, the original song was really great, but the flute part in the latter half... I couldn’t help but feel like it had unnecessary frills attached to it.”
Edward’s face turned pale.
The flute part in the latter half didn’t really exist in the ‘original song.’ It was something that Edward added later that wasn’t in Ariana’s first draft.
It was one of Edward’s few pure originals.
“But he removed all that and inserted a long interlude instead. It was longer than the usual interlude, so at first I was suspicious, but as I listened, there was something very touching about it.”
“...”
“How about finding that performer and collaborating with him? If you re-enact it in a new version, the audience will definitely flock.”
Edward clenched his fists so hard that they would break.
‘What does a guy who only plays for money know about art? The frills? Damn it!’
He wanted to grab Marquis Rainer by the collar right there.
It was a deep humiliation to have just listened to that insulting remark.
‘Damn it... If only the opera house was more successful.’
Then, whether it was Marquis Rainer or Marquis Pedegrin, he wouldn’t have to worry about anyone’s feelings.
He had to endure for now, for the day when he could fully display his artistic world.
Edward secretly ground his teeth while pouring poison into the burning heat.
The Duke of Heigenberg's public display of affection with a woman of mysterious age!
The Duke's first official admission of love?!
Who is the Duke's girlfriend?
"What is this!"
Elena screamed and threw the newspaper to the ground.
Her legs were shaking, and she soon shouted sharply.
"Ugh, damn it...! Bring that back!"
"Ah, here!"
A maid hurriedly put the newspaper she had just thrown into Elena's hands.
Elena's eyes widened in shock as she checked the headline.
The Duke and the Secret Lover, Showing Off Their Naked Love in Paradise...
“Who on earth is this girl?!”
Elena glared at the newspaper, trembling.
If it had just been an article, she would have thought it was some pathetic third-rate gossip.
In fact, the Duke’s alleged affair had come up more than once or twice.
However, unlike before, when there had always been groundless rumors, there was evidence for this rumor.
A newspaper had taken a photo of Dante with a woman.
And it was a very explicit scene.
“Ugh...”
Elena glared at the photo, trembling, as if she could pierce through it.
The image quality was blurry, and the woman was wrapped tightly in a cloak, so she couldn’t see her face.
Even then, only a little bit of the woman’s figure was visible because Dante’s large body covered it.
But even in that poor photo, it was clear that the two main characters, a man and a woman, were engaging in a blatant display of affection. It was enough to make her blush just by looking at the photo.
Elena threw down the newspaper again after seeing Dante’s side profile kissing a woman on the piano.
“That’s ridiculous. This has never happened!”
Everyone already knew that Dante invited singers to his bedroom every night.
However, that was different from a rumor about a romantic relationship.
Dante never went back to the woman he had invited to his bedroom once.
So Elena didn’t care.
She just thought that he needed a woman to warm his bed every night, just like any capable man.
A ‘virtuous’ woman should be able to boldly understand such problems in a man.
‘Plus, there are rumors that the Princess keeps following him around.’
Elena didn’t think of being jealous if the other person was the Princess.
The Princess was someone who couldn’t compare to her in the first place. It’s like the saying, “Don’t look at a tree you can’t climb. ”
But this was a different story.
'You're going to play romance with one of the singers?'
Elena's lips trembled. She couldn't understand it at all.
'If that's the case, then why did I...'
Why did you ignore me?
Elena bit her lip until it hurt.
There was a secret that most people didn't know.
It was that Dante was an audience member at the Lopez Opera House.
He had covered his face, perhaps because he didn't intend to reveal his identity, but Elena could tell when she stood on stage.
How could she not recognize his eyes that burned like embers alone in the dark audience?
'He's coming to see me.'
When she saw his face for three days in a row, Elena was certain of her excitement.
Dante was coming to hear her sing.
The fact that he took the front-row seat every time he came, and the intense gaze he gave her as she sang, were proof of that.
She knew he was a bad man.
He was a murderer who had killed hundreds and thousands of people on the battlefield. That he was a dangerous person.
But to him, even those ominous rumors seemed like decoration.
Of course, she didn’t really intend to do anything with a man who was just with a random singer.
However, she thought it would be quite fun to put a man who was just looking at her with longing eyes in her arms.
...She was also curious about how Ariana would react.
So he reached out.
“You should all attend the after-party tomorrow. His Highness the Duke is also planning to come.”
Elena smiled as she sent a letter asking to be her partner at the after-party after the opera performance.
It was an invitation that any man who was captivated by Elena and visited the opera house every day would want to get their hands on.
“Oh. Is it really the Duke of Heigenberg?”
“Yes. My partner.”
The ladies’ reactions were so funny that their eyes widened.
Until then, the Duke, who had just returned from war, was famous for not participating in any external social events.
The party held the next day had more people than usual.
More than half of the guests were women.
And, Dante did not attend that day.
There was not even a reply of refusal with a detailed reason for his absence.
Elena was simply clearly and cleanly ignored.
“...Ha.”
Elena bit her lip as she recalled the humiliation of that day.
“It’s annoying, phew. It’s annoying... Ouch!”
“Your voice is loud, Elena.”
Ariana appeared in the restaurant with a calm voice.
Elena turned around and frowned.
Ariana looked amazing.
Dark shadows under her eyes. Slightly thinner cheeks than usual. Pale skin, almost white. She looked like a ghost.
“Oh my, Sister. What kind of appearance is that for a lady?”
Elena covered her mouth with her hand and sighed pitifully.
“You stayed up all night again yesterday? Insomnia is the enemy of beauty. Don’t you know that?”
Recently, a strange rumor was going around among the servants who were on night duty.
It seemed like Miss Ariana never slept. Music was constantly playing in her room, whether it was night or dawn.
Elena thought it was a ridiculous anomaly.
Edward was the main composer anyway, so why was she making such a fuss as if she were the main character? The important thing was the wedding, which was less than a month away.
‘How can someone like that be a Marchioness...’
Elena slyly glanced at her older sister.
In terms of looks and virtues as a lady, Elena was much more suited to the position of Marchioness.
'...If only she hadn't been of that damn status.'
If only that meant the older sister had been like her mother. No, if only her mother had been a low-ranking noblewoman.
***
The Duke of Heigenberg's public display of affection with a woman of mysterious age!
The Duke's first official admission of love?!
Who is the Duke's girlfriend?
"What is this!"
Elena screamed and threw the newspaper to the ground.
Her legs were shaking, and she soon shouted sharply.
"Ugh, damn it...! Bring that back!"
"Ah, here!"
A maid hurriedly put the newspaper she had just thrown into Elena's hands.
Elena's eyes widened in shock as she checked the headline.
The Duke and the Secret Lover, Showing Off Their Naked Love in Paradise...
“Who on earth is this girl?!”
Elena glared at the newspaper, trembling.
If it had just been an article, she would have thought it was some pathetic third-rate gossip.
In fact, the Duke’s alleged affair had come up more than once or twice.
However, unlike before, when there had always been groundless rumors, there was evidence for this rumor.
A newspaper had taken a photo of Dante with a woman.
And it was a very explicit scene.
“Ugh...”
Elena glared at the photo, trembling, as if she could pierce through it.
The image quality was blurry, and the woman was wrapped tightly in a cloak, so she couldn’t see her face.
Even then, only a little bit of the woman’s figure was visible because Dante’s large body covered it.
But even in that poor photo, it was clear that the two main characters, a man and a woman, were engaging in a blatant display of affection. It was enough to make her blush just by looking at the photo.
Elena threw down the newspaper again after seeing Dante’s side profile kissing a woman on the piano.
“That’s ridiculous. This has never happened!”
Everyone already knew that Dante invited singers to his bedroom every night.
However, that was different from a rumor about a romantic relationship.
Dante never went back to the woman he had invited to his bedroom once.
So Elena didn’t care.
She just thought that he needed a woman to warm his bed every night, just like any capable man.
A ‘virtuous’ woman should be able to boldly understand such problems in a man.
‘Plus, there are rumors that the Princess keeps following him around.’
Elena didn’t think of being jealous if the other person was the Princess.
The Princess was someone who couldn’t compare to her in the first place. It’s like the saying, “Don’t look at a tree you can’t climb. ”
But this was a different story.
'You're going to play romance with one of the singers?'
Elena's lips trembled. She couldn't understand it at all.
'If that's the case, then why did I...'
Why did you ignore me?
Elena bit her lip until it hurt.
There was a secret that most people didn't know.
It was that Dante was an audience member at the Lopez Opera House.
He had covered his face, perhaps because he didn't intend to reveal his identity, but Elena could tell when she stood on stage.
How could she not recognize his eyes that burned like embers alone in the dark audience?
'He's coming to see me.'
When she saw his face for three days in a row, Elena was certain of her excitement.
Dante was coming to hear her sing.
The fact that he took the front-row seat every time he came, and the intense gaze he gave her as she sang, were proof of that.
She knew he was a bad man.
He was a murderer who had killed hundreds and thousands of people on the battlefield. That he was a dangerous person.
But to him, even those ominous rumors seemed like decoration.
Of course, she didn’t really intend to do anything with a man who was just with a random singer.
However, she thought it would be quite fun to put a man who was just looking at her with longing eyes in her arms.
...She was also curious about how Ariana would react.
So he reached out.
“You should all attend the after-party tomorrow. His Highness the Duke is also planning to come.”
Elena smiled as she sent a letter asking to be her partner at the after-party after the opera performance.
It was an invitation that any man who was captivated by Elena and visited the opera house every day would want to get their hands on.
“Oh. Is it really the Duke of Heigenberg?”
“Yes. My partner.”
The ladies’ reactions were so funny that their eyes widened.
Until then, the Duke, who had just returned from war, was famous for not participating in any external social events.
The party held the next day had more people than usual.
More than half of the guests were women.
And, Dante did not attend that day.
There was not even a reply of refusal with a detailed reason for his absence.
Elena was simply clearly and cleanly ignored.
“...Ha.”
Elena bit her lip as she recalled the humiliation of that day.
“It’s annoying, phew. It’s annoying... Ouch!”
“Your voice is loud, Elena.”
Ariana appeared in the restaurant with a calm voice.
Elena turned around and frowned.
Ariana looked amazing.
Dark shadows under her eyes. Slightly thinner cheeks than usual. Pale skin, almost white. She looked like a ghost.
“Oh my, Sister. What kind of appearance is that for a lady?”
Elena covered her mouth with her hand and sighed pitifully.
“You stayed up all night again yesterday? Insomnia is the enemy of beauty. Don’t you know that?”
Recently, a strange rumor was going around among the servants who were on night duty.
It seemed like Miss Ariana never slept. Music was constantly playing in her room, whether it was night or dawn.
Elena thought it was a ridiculous anomaly.
Edward was the main composer anyway, so why was she making such a fuss as if she were the main character? The important thing was the wedding, which was less than a month away.
‘How can someone like that be a Marchioness...’
Elena slyly glanced at her older sister.
In terms of looks and virtues as a lady, Elena was much more suited to the position of Marchioness.
'...If only she hadn't been of that damn status.'
If only that meant the older sister had been like her mother. No, if only her mother had been a low-ranking noblewoman.
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