Translator and Editor: Maru and Aki

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Chapter 14

Ravia tried to suppress the tremor in her voice. So far, she and Tidwell have been on good terms. So, he couldn’t be an assassin sent by Tidwell. If someone had really intended to kill her, they would have stabbed her neck without going through all this trouble.

‘He doesn’t seem like a nobleman.’

Ravia now had the eyes to discern the difference between ordinary and underworld people. Last time, she stopped by a cafe to look for a messenger and even attended the secret society gathering. Thus, she had quite the experience.

The most obvious distinction was one’s hand movement. Nobles are taught to kill discreetly. Straighten the waist and keep the hands still. As invisible as possible. One’s legs shouldn’t make noise. The more you move soundlessly, the more correct it is.

However, the underworld was different. It’s not that they didn’t learn these manners, but they always raised both hands where everyone can see them on purpose.

Whether to move them around, put it on their chest, or hold something. This is how [His and Her Spring] explained it:

‘To show that you’re not going to kill.’

Showing their hands meant they weren’t going to do anything threatening.

As proof, the man who brazenly occupied the seat next to Ravia clasped his hands over the top of his crossed legs, which meant her safety was somewhat guaranteed.

Ravia, who quietly picked up the bell to call people, paused.

“You’d better not do anything useless, miss.”

The man pulled a dagger out of his arms at once. The man’s white teeth and dagger were especially clear in the dark.

Just in time, the interlude changed from a violin to viola. Ravia’s heart skipped a beat along with the low melody. She put down the bell silently, and just like him, she placed her hands on the armrest. Only then did the man smile and put away his dagger.

Now that her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, the man’s expression was roughly visible.

“I like you because you are quick-witted. I really didn’t have a seat reserved today, so I can’t help but take someone else’s seat. I don’t intend to stab you.”

Who would believe that? Ravia paid no heed to what the man said and replied.

“Isn’t that enough to be a crime?”

“I’m going to rent the remaining seat anyway.”

Ravia let out a smirk. But the man just grinned.

“By the way, I didn’t expect you to consider yourself a lost woman. Aren’t you empathizing with Violetta too much?”

Violetta is the heroine of La Traviata. La Traviata means ‘the one who goes astray’, and it was also a story of Violetta’s tragedy. La Traviata tells the love story of Violetta, who worked as a high-ranking prostitute or courtesan. She falls in love with a noble man, but she ends up in tragedy because of her low status and tuberculosis.

Status. A word that was closely related to Ravia since she received suspicious glances about her legitimacy all the time.

‘Did he say that without realizing that I’m Ravia Leontine?’

So Ravia responded with a slight frown.

“I can tell the difference between reality and a play.”

“Is that so? I was wondering if you’re caught up in a false sense of vengeance or sadness about your situation.”

“…What do you mean?”

“It doesn’t mean anything. As you know, Violetta was abandoned by her beloved man and died of tuberculosis.”

“Do I seem like I was abandoned by the man I love?”

“You could be abandoned by everyone.”

At this point, Ravia realized.

I didn’t know who he was, but he clearly came to investigate me.

‘Although I wanted to meet Laricia today.’

I didn’t expect this to happen. He was clearly someone who knew about my situation. Otherwise, he couldn’t just barge into Leontine’s box seat.

So Ravia scoured the man with a cool look. The clothes he wore were luxurious, and his behaviour was different from the nobles although he had his own style. It means that he might not be related to Tidwell.

‘Is this guy sent by Herod?’

Then it makes sense. Perhaps he was trying to figure out the real intention behind my proposal.

Only then did Ravia responded with a sigh,

“Even if everyone abandons me, I only need one person to trust me.”

“Oh, is it someone you love?”

“Me.”

I never had anyone who believed in me anyway. Just one of me is enough. So Ravia shrugged.

“Reality is not a play. Women in the opera either love or hate someone to death, but is there any reason why I should do that?”

There was no answer from the man. So Ravia turned her head to the stage. At the end of the third act, Violetta was dying of tuberculosis on stage.

“I’m not greedy for great things. I just don’t want to die like that.”

Tragedy of being shunned by all, insulted by loved ones, and dying of illness.

If you don’t expect anything from anyone, you won’t be abandoned. If you don’t love, you won’t cry because of love. On the other hand, becoming accustomed to resignation is easy.

Ravia was listening to Violetta with her chin resting on her hand. Violetta, in despair, says:

[You can’t save me even if you’re back. Nothing in the world can save me.]

Even God couldn’t save her in this opera.

Ravia was watching the predestined tragedy with a vacant look. Then, the man next to her spoke.

“Didn’t you say reality is different from a play? Violetta is just a character in the play.”

“It’s a play that reflects reality. Nothing can save.”

(T/N: There’s no pronoun because she’s purposely omitted herself from the sentence.)

Ravia spoke in a declaratory tone while leaving out the word ‘me’, so the man burst into small laughter.

“You’re more absorbed into it than I thought. Since that’s the case, I suppose you’ll believe this remark.”

The man recited a line.

[Love has saved me and it will save you and the world.]

Just before she died, Violetta said that to her beloved. And it was also the part Ravia thought of as the most unrealistic part of the play.

But before Ravia could say anything, the man rose from his seat first.

“Thanks to you, I enjoyed it. I have to run away before you call someone.”

“Then why are you taking out your dagger?”

“Of course, it’s just a joke.”

Lies. Ravia frowned. But the sly man’s attitude hadn’t changed. With an exaggerated gesture, he bowed and twirled his hand.

At that time, a big light burst from the stage. It was a stage effect, but it was strong enough to light up the box seat. Thanks to this, the man’s silhouette was briefly exposed to the light.

Curly red hair and red eyes.

Ravia was also exposed to the light, so the two faced each other’s bare face briefly.

The red gaze scanned the woman who was sitting quietly. Soon, he grinned.

“May love save you.”

The strange intruder, Herod, left those words behind.

***

It was already late at night when Ravia returned to the mansion after finishing her business. Perhaps Ravia woke her up, but the maid appeared while rubbing her eyes.

“Where were you today, miss?”

“In the library.”

“Ah, I’ll serve you a meal there next time.”

The maid didn’t even ask her to eat in the dining room. Duke Leontine hated her so much, and now that the new young master had come, he prepared a separate meal for Ravia. He didn’t care even if the meals would be cooled down by the time it was served to Ravia.

Ravia waved her hand and sent the maid out. Normally, a maid should assist a noble in changing their clothes and washing their face, but Ravia wasn’t on good terms with her maids.

Obviously, it was because they gave her unnerving gazes and doubted her legitimacy. There was no reason for Ravia to like them. Ravia was cold-hearted towards her servants more than Duke Leontine was towards Ravia.

‘I hated it more when they treated me as luggage as soon as Tidwell entered the residence.’

In the novel, those servants told Duke Leontine that Ravia couldn’t handle the extreme sense of loss and turned evil, so they told him to send Ravia to a mental hospital in order for her to recuperate quickly.

The abandoned lady and the loyal servants of the family were like water and oil.

It’s better to do it alone than to endure the uncomfortable situation.

Ravia took off all her cumbersome clothes and changed into a one-piece long pajama.

As Ravia was tying her hair, what happened a little while ago replayed on her head. To be precise, she was thinking of the man who broke into the box seat.

‘Are you from Herod’s family?’

Red hair was the representation of the Orpheus family to which Herod belongs. Meanwhile, the criminal organization in the underworld that was managed by the Orpheous family was called ‘Cosmo’.

Herod was the leader, but he may have asked his relative to investigate her. Due to that, instead of meeting Primadonna Laricia, she left a note for her errand boy.

Tuk, tuk.

There was a knock on the window. As Ravia turned around, a masked young man sat on the window frame, waved his hand, and asked, “Am I too early?”

“Crow tits usually sleep a lot at night.”

The young man chuckled at Ravia’s polite answer.

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