Chapter 015

<Episode 15>

“You keep trying to tempt me, Master, why don’t you look at yourself first?”

While taking measurements in the clothing room, Leo was fiddling around with the items around him and asked.

He seemed to be dissatisfied with something.

I tilted my head.

“I didn’t seduce you.”

“Then?”

“Fan service.”

The clothing room employee who took the measurements disappeared.

He was busy moving around when he heard that it was the outfit he was going to wear this evening.

‘I spent that much money.’

I said while looking around where brooches and hairpins were displayed while the employee was gone.

“Performing arts need that. It’s something that bewitches people.”

Why would idols do something like K-Live for no reason?

In a sense, theater or musical actors are closer to idols than movie or drama actors.

So communication with the audience is important.

Because I have to breathe and act in one space.

“…Is that pretty?”

Leo asked cautiously, pointing to the hairpin I picked up.

“Huh.”

“Then shall I buy it for you?”

I frowned at the answer I received.

“You?”

I chuckled.

Then Leo frowned.

“Does it hurt you?”

“…….”

Oh my. What mistake did I make to the next emperor?

“You got paid for my appearance. I can buy you that tidy, master.”

“You willingly became a slave and brought money to your master. You’re pathetic, slave.”

This is a remark from a European revolutionary I knew that would make him turn from his grave.

I called an employee nearby.

“Give me this.”

Among the accessories I was looking at earlier, I picked up a hairpin that looked quite high-end.

The simple flower-shaped decoration did not suit me at all.

But it didn’t matter.

Because I don’t own this.

I handed the wrapped hairpin to Leo. Then he pointed at him with his chin and said.

“The money is over there.”

Leo had an absurd expression on his face as he watched me buy a hairpin after refusing at best.

But he obediently gave the money.

‘Looking at what you brought in advance, I guess you were planning to buy something.’

What. Anyway, it went well.

“You do it.”

“Are you telling me to do it? This? Master, what are you really doing about me?”

“No. If you find a girl you like, give her to her.”

For example, Ilena Burbage.

The Burbage family became the guardians of Leo Peer a year and a half later.

It is the Marquis Burbage family that is responsible for making Leo an imperial knight and infiltrating the imperial castle.

In the process, Ilena Burbage’s crush on Leo is of great help to him.

The fact that Leo was the man whom his beloved daughter loved played a role in the Marquis Burbage’s fearful act of plotting treason.

So in the end, as this guy said, growing up pretty is a big help to this guy’s life.

But the problem is that this damn male protagonist is bad at dating.

Every time he denies his love for Yeoju, he rejects her help and even ends up in danger.

“In life, there will be a woman who catches your eye at first sight. Get as much affection from her as possible. And please…. Do whatever she tells you.”

I narrowed my eyes.

I needed to teach a guy who was able to seduce me like he was breathing, but was also not good at seducing the woman I really loved.

At those words, the expression on Leo’s face as he was looking at the hairpin disappeared.

“So you’re giving this to me?”

His voice became mysterious.

‘Are you listening seriously?’

When that thought occurred to him, Leo raised his head.

He was smiling brightly again.

“Okay. Then take this, master.”

He holds out a hairpin to me as if it were a given.

I can’t communicate with this guy.

As a senior in life and a reader of the original, I am giving you important advice.

I walked towards the entrance, feeling like I shouldn’t reply any further.

Let’s look at clothes.

It was then.

A scrawny-looking woman looked at me outside the glass door and frowned.

It was a woman with jet black hair flowing up and wearing a black dress.

‘It looks kind of familiar?’

The moment I thought that, the door burst open.

“Louisa Mecenat. Now you don’t even say hello to my aunt.”

Fortunately, he introduced himself.

Ah. You’re Louisa’s aunt.

Somehow the face looked familiar.

I remember seeing it at the auction house. I even cheered with excitement when I bought the Mecenat original.

‘Father! You ignored me as an collateral! That’s how I bought my true nature!’

Catherine Herotia.

As a collateral of Mecenat, she contributed greatly to the fall of the Principality of Mecenat.

She brought my father and grandfather, the previous duke, into the business of her in-laws, the Herotia family, and made them into a large debt.

Now, I understand that Count Herotia has regained his former power by becoming one of the emperor’s closest associates.

‘On that subject, when all of the emperor’s closest associates were executed, only the Herotia family escaped abroad and survived.’

I, no, Louisa, is dead.

He is an unpleasant person in many ways.

Still, it may be worth using.

“Hello. Aunt. It’s been a while since I saw you.”

I made a quick decision and greeted her politely.

While traveling around Europe, paying a lot of money for the Grand Tour, I also learned some noble etiquette.

“Of course it’s been a while since I’ve seen you. Have you been so busy tarnishing Mecenat’s reputation that you’ve forgotten about me and all of your relatives?”

“Are you talking about the auction? My aunt was the one who was most excited about buying inheritances at the auction house. I also saw how he scolded the servants about items that were sold at a bargain price, saying, ‘You have to buy them when they are cheap.’”

I asked vaguely.

Then Catherine’s face crumpled. She quickly turned around and attacked me.

“Is it just an auction? I’m talking about spreading rumors of an affair with a male actor at my father’s favorite theater! Aren’t you ashamed of going to live in your fiancé’s mansion as an unmarried person?”

“Ah…. That’s what you’re saying. If that’s the case….”

I nodded awkwardly.

“It sure was busy.”

I winked at Leo sitting behind me.

It means come here.

Leo was looking at Catherine with an unknown light emanating from his golden eyes.

Does this person recognize our ‘aunt’?

Anyone close to Callinan had a reason to be angry with fire in their eyes.

I pulled Leo towards me violently and laughed.

I said it as if I was bragging.

“It’s pretty, right? I bought it.”

“What… what?!”

Catherine’s face was filled with astonishment.

At the same time, a slight sense of joy was also visible.

Catherine thought that she would naturally take over after the death of her brother and heir, my father.

But my grandfather chose me.

Catherine suffered from an inferiority complex for the rest of her life because of that choice.

That may have been the reason why they went to great lengths to purchase Mecenat, which would have been difficult even if it had been restored.

The joy that Catherine is seeing now must also be the joy that comes from me, my grandfather’s only successor, being such a flower garden.

He is a strangely twisted human being.

“As expected, my father had no eye for a successor. You believed until the end that this stupid bitch was your successor….”

‘Stupid bitch.’

If it had been before Mecenat’s collapse, this was something the collateral would not have dared say to the duke’s legitimate successor.

Right now, there is no particular reason to stop such remarks.

Still, if I were really Louisa, I would not have been able to control my anger in this situation and would have acted viciously, getting kicked out, and adding one more interesting gossip to the public.

But I didn’t intend to do that.

“Still. Fair-faced men make money. I made a lot of money for the ticket this time, so I could soon be rich again!”

I said with a bright smile.

I felt Leo looking at me from the side, but he didn’t react.

Catherine laughed at my words and said.

“Something has changed about you. I don’t think it was this bright before.”

Then Catherine spoke with a look on her face that clearly showed she was planning something.

“Your head is truly a flower garden. Because of you, the principality has come to this state, and yet all you can do is take these men around and have fun.”

Catherine fumed and stretched out her hand toward me.

She stroked my cheek.

I am canceling what I said earlier that contact was okay.

I feel like I’m going to throw up.

“Still, I feel sorry for my young nephew, so I will tell you something that will help you. I will soon be throwing a fancy party in Mecenat’s main castle.”

Also.

I knew it would be like this.

In the original, Catherine bought the Mecenat Castle and often held parties at the castle.

Not only was she not a great person to make fun of a castle she had purchased in extortion, but her daughter was currently looking for a suitor.

Catherine, who is very vain, would be hoping for more nobles to join her party now.

And you might think it would be better to use me there.

“Wow, really? So are there a lot of good-looking men there?”

“Okay then. So, let me give you an invitation too.”

Catherine said patronizingly, with an eye that said, ‘I was caught.’

‘I was caught.’

At the party Catherine is hosting, there is a candidate for an ‘actor with star quality’ that I am looking for.

“It’s okay to come with your fiancé, but…. I think it would be nice to come with the male actor you like so much. It would be better if you come and show me a play. As you know, Count Arno is very hard.”

It was a blatant request to leave her fiancé and come with a male actor.

It was clear that his intention was to make me laugh, but-.

‘I rather like it.’

Being able to show what kind of play I want to do in front of that ‘actor’ candidate is the best condition.

I held off on answering that I would go and quietly stepped away.

“Then…. It would be a good idea to buy one more dress. But what should I do if I haven’t received the payment yet and don’t have enough money? It would be difficult to present the play without a dress.”

“Uh?”

“Oh, I can’t go either.”

“I’ll pay!”

Catherine spoke hurriedly with a slightly stiff face.

It seemed like he really wanted to invite me.

‘The play definitely became a hot topic.’

I said with a slightly more pitiful look on my face.

It must have been an excellent performance in contrast to Catherine.

“Then the cost of Romeo’s clothes here is….”

“I…!”

That was when Catherine was about to respond angrily.

Right next to me, Leo gently wrapped his arms around my waist and said.

“I don’t think you should expect something like that from your wife. It looks like you don’t have very deep pockets.”

After saying that, Leo looked straight at Catherine.

“Is that so?”

It was a clear provocation. So now-.

‘Are you helping me?’

When he noticed that I was trying to rip off Catherine’s costume, he started ‘acting’. Even using the techniques I taught him.

‘Before saying an important line, look at the other actor, and when saying an important line, look at the audience. Eye handling is a great skill.’

I almost complimented him without even realizing it, as he seemed to have already realized my direction.

Soon Catherine answered with a shocked expression.

“Let me calculate everything. Because, unlike Mecenat, Herotia held a strong rope.”

It’s a sturdy rope.

I laughed to myself.

That rope will break after a few years.

Anyway, it’s good that the costume cost has been solidified.

* * *

When we went to the stage, as expected, most of the actors were late.

Except for one person.

“Benvolio?”

I spoke while looking at the actor playing Benvolio, who was muttering to himself while holding the script.

A gentle face with pink hair.

‘I don’t remember the original name.’

He was startled and even fell backwards.

“Ah, princess! Sorry! I came and practiced first for no reason…! I didn’t mean to do that!”

“I think it’s me who’s late?”

It’s the other actors who are late.

I looked at Benvolio, his face red with embarrassment.

I sat down, watching the guy open his mouth as if he had something to say.

What is it, just tell me.

And the words that came out of the guy who opened his mouth were quite unexpected.

“I…. Please treat me harshly!”

While I was frozen, a sigh came from behind me.

“You’re cocky. Should I kill you?”

The person with the cold voice was Leo.

Come to think of it, this guy will become a sword master later.

I frowned, remembering something I had forgotten.

“Don’t kill me. The lack of an understudy is causing problems in the play.”

“Ugh, I didn’t mean that, I…. I…! I want to become an actor!”

Who says that like you?

I wrinkled my face.