I shook my head right away.
“No, you don’t have to be so scared.”
“Pardon?”
“My father doesn’t have a sickening hobby of making a bright actress his mistress and killing her.”
Sarah was startled by my blatant remarks.
“He’s not even a rude person who flirts with a girl the age of his daughter.”
“…”
Leaving Sarah speechless with a surprised look, I went back to my seat. Unlike before, Sarah followed me with wary eyes and sat face to face.
“You’re not upset, aren’t you? You want to live a comfortable life as a mistress, but I kicked Count Erghetti out without knowing your feelings?”
“Not at all!”
“Right, I thought so. Don’t get me wrong, I just helped you because you looked tired.”
“Then you’re saying you didn’t come here for any other reason?”
“I can at least tell you that I’m not here for the reason you’re worried about. And if you don’t mind, I’d like to help you.”
“Help…me?”
“I can try to come to your play regularly. Then soon it will be known Duke Diollus has his eyes on Sarah.”
“…”
“Then, perhaps, the nobles who have made proposals to you will naturally fall out?”
As I shrugged my shoulders, Sarah, who had been listening silently, opened her mouth with a suspicious expression.
“May I ask why you are trying to help me so much?”
“That’s right. There is no favor without reason. To be honest, I also have something I want from Sarah.”
I added, trying to placate Sarah, who was hesitant.
“But more than that, I sincerely hope that a genius actress like Sarah can do the acting that she loves, comfortably.”
“What do you want from me?”
“Mm. I want to get a little help from Sarah in the business I want to start. I’m not forcing you, it’s okay to say no. I’ll keep coming to see your play.”
Sarah looked at me with a slightly softened expression, as if boundaries had been lifted by my sincere words.
I smiled and said to her, who was curious about my real proposal.
“What do you think? Do you want to listen to it?”
***
“Then I’m afraid we’ll have dinner later…”
As I left the waiting room after finishing our conversation.
Sarah Hugo was terrified.
Because Duke Diollus, the father of Princess Rubette, was waiting outside.
“Dad? Why are you waiting here?”
“…”
The duke narrowed his brows, looking down at Rubette with discontent.
“Are you out of your mind to walk around alone without an escort?”
“Umm, what could happen in a crowded theater…”
“Ha…”
The duke sighed with a disapproving look, and pushed Rubette’s back to the front.
“Let’s go, hurry.”
Rubette, who was in his power, waved at Sarah.
“Oh, right, Sarah! I will contact you!”
“Ah! Y-Yes…”
Sarah, who had forgotten that she had to greet the duke, was dazed, nodded her head and waved her hand.
The father and daughter left the theater in a flash.
“Sarah, are you okay? As expected, Duke Diollus is here to make a proposal, right?”
A colleague in charge of theater management asked in a worried voice.
Sarah, who had been chasing the back of the father and daughter with her eyes, shook her head slowly.
“No…”
In fact, she was skeptical when she heard Rubette’s suggestion.
“I am preparing a business. I plan to run a boutique that sells clothes and accessories for noble ladies.”
“Could Sarah be a model for me?”
“Of course, I will pay the model fee that won’t leave you disappointed. Base salary plus additional charges depending on sales. If only Sarah agrees, I hope we can sign a contract when we meet again. I will meet all the condition you want.”
Instead of becoming the mistress of Duke Diollus, Sarah will be the model and promote a boutique.
Even if she refused, they would continue to come to see her play, so to be precise, the word ‘instead’ was not appropriate.
Rubette’s proposal was ideally in Sarah’s interest, so she couldn’t raise any doubts even until the conversation was finished.
However.
‘It’s true.’
Sarah was convinced by the meeting a while ago that Rubette’s words that Duke Diollus did not come here because of an ulterior motive were true.
From the moment the door opened to the moment he took Rubette away.
The duke was only interested in his daughter, and didn’t send a single glance to Sarah.
For a brief moment, Sarah was so confused as to whether or not she had become invisible.
‘The princess must have been really sincere. No way. This is ridiculous.’
She was surprised and overwhelmed at the moment. Sarah raised her hands and pressed down on her chest.
“I-It’s not a dream, is it?”
Actually, today was her last performance. This was because Count Noven Erghetti threatened Sarah, saying he could not wait any longer, threatening the survival of the theater company.
She didn’t want the people in the theater because of herself, so she finally made a bitter decision…
Sarah survived with a helping hand that came to her like a dream and a lie.
She can continue acting.
Freely, without being bothered by dirty, arrogant nobles.
“What are you talking about? What do you mean dream? Huh? Sarah? Sarah? Are you crying? Did Young Lady Diollus scare you?”
“…”
Sarah shook her head as hard as she could with her tear-filled eyes. Contrary to her crying eyes, the corners of her lips kept curling up.
It had been a long time since she shed tears.
***
In the carriage heading to the restaurant after separating with Sarah.
One warm summer day, remembering our first meeting.
With love, Sarah Hugo.
My dad asked me as I looked over and over again at the white handkerchief with her autograph.
“Is it that good?”
“It’s fine.”
Sarah, fortunately, accepted my offer of being a model for the boutique <Blanc de Ruby> that I will launch.
‘It was such an unconventional condition that she seemed to doubt it until the end, but well, that’s a misunderstanding that will be solved naturally after a few more encounters…’
It was a tremendous harvest as it saved the unfortunate genius Sarah Hugo and succeeded in borrowing her popularity.
‘Successfully secured the model for woman’s clothing! All I have to do now is make money!’
Laughing with satisfaction at the smell of money already passing through my nose, I looked at the scenery outside the passing carriage.
As I was looking around the city, which was packed with cute buildings with a foreign feeling, I was excited.
“Dad, Dad. How much is a house on the outskirts?”
“Why are you asking that?”
“When I make money, I want to buy a house and become independent.”
“What?”
Leaving behind my bewildered father’s voice, I recalled some bitter memories.
A tearful recollection of Rubette, who was sentenced to die after living as an ugly duckling in the Diollus Duchy for the rest of her life.
“Wishit. I wanted to build a small house and live in a place with good air.”
“I’m going to build a small house with a good atmosphere.”
“I also wanted to have a cat. A cat with black, yellow, and white fur.”
“I also want a cat with tricolored fur.”
Rubette, who just wished for a little happiness, eventually saved me, who wasn’t even aware of her existence, and disappeared.
‘That’s the life you want, huh? Build a pretty house and raise a cat in the forest.’
Trying to listen to her wishes, I turned my head and looked at my dad and asked again.
“How much does a house on the outskirts cost?”
“How old are you now, and you want to live outside? You’re going to go out without getting married and live alone?”
Dad looked a little angry.
“Why do you look angry?”
“Because you are talking nonsense.”
“Can’t I go out and live alone? Do I have to get Dad’s permission?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“A person who has never been interested in me even though we have lived under one roof?”
“…”
My father, who became speechless, soon said with a long sigh,
“In any case, no. You’re still too young. It’s dangerous…”
“How strange. I thought Dad would be happy if I said I’d leave the house.”
“Me?”
I continued to speak as I looked at my father who was asking as if I was saying something absurd.
“Yes. Didn’t you think of me as the family shame?”
“…”
Dad’s eyes widened.
I was a little choked up, but I shrugged and added, pretending it didn’t matter.
“Don’t you think I’m a cripple? Born into a chosen family who can wield spirits…”
“…”
“…but is an incompetent fellow who can’t even sign a contract with a spirit.”
Depressed, I looked out the window again.
A fat body, a timid and gloomy personality from constant abuse. Such surroundings certainly helped to isolate Rubette.
However.
‘There is another reason why everyone ignored Rubette, both inside and outside.’
Even though Rubette was a member of the Diollus family, she was the only one who couldn’t sign a contract with a spirit.
‘Well, to be precise, everyone knows that she didn’t do well.’
But whatever the circumstances, I don’t think that’s a good reason for Rubette to be lonely all her life.
“You know, I’ve always wanted to eat with my dad, come out to play, have a little chat.”
“…”
“So I am happy now. But once in a while, when I think of the expression my dad used to make, my heart…”
I pressed my hand on my tight chest.
“…hurts.”
Even as I was casually talking to my dad face to face, I was caught up by a certain memory that came to mind.
“Do you remember when I failed to sign a contract with a spirit?”
I looked back at my dad.
“The expression on Dad’s face at that time is so engraved in my heart that I can’t forget it.”
Dad was staring at me with trembling eyes.
“You looked like me like I was a failure, and left me alone and just walked away.”
Looking at my father’s frozen face, I thought of that terrible winter that year, that is, my 15th birthday.