Chapter 21: Prince of the Night (3)

Serena stretched out her legs.

With the accumulated tension throughout her body easing, a faint moan escaped her lips.

Even with the powerful background of being an imperial princess, the anxiety before this performance was her kryptonite.

“Seri. Are you ready?”

“Yes, I’ll be out soon.”

Serena had taken a liking to this troupe.

It wasn’t as big as the Moonlight troupe, but the facilities weren’t bad, and the people were kind. It felt like a true family.

Above all, they would provide opportunities for anyone, as long as they had talent.

<Isolde and Jerron>

Serena spread out the script one last time before her performance.

When she was with the Moonlight Theater, she had performed with scripts she had written herself.

It was a sort of stubbornness. She believed she could write stories far superior to these clichéd love stories.

She also naively thought that the general audience would recognize and appreciate her superior narratives.

-But the public was cold-hearted.

They wouldn’t waste their time on a bland and uninteresting story concocted by a young girl.

They came to watch validated, entertaining stories.

Serena knew that fact now.

Yet, she still believed her story held a unique piece of artistry.

Most importantly, there was one person who proved that to her.

That was all that mattered.

Now,

‘Let’s give the audience a delightful smile.’

With that thought, Serena opened the script.

‘Isolde and Jerron’ was one of the most famous tales in the empire.

She could probably recite every line without looking.

But as with all popular plays, each troupe adds their own twist to ‘Isolde and Jerron’. She just had to remember those specific changes.

Serena opened the first page.

<Her mother used to say that a woman in love becomes stronger. But Isolde couldn’t understand what that meant, because her mother passed away the following year.>

‘…….’

Serena’s arm trembled as she held the script.

Serena’s mother, the Empress, died when Serena was just six. It was a sudden death.

<Isolde’s father didn’t pay much attention to her. He treated her as if she was a plant that would grow into an adult over time, without needing care.>

‘Isolde and Jerron’ was a love story between two people from different families. It was a story that touched hearts by showing an impossible love becoming possible in the end.

However, Isolde’s childhood was only briefly touched upon in the narrative, without much depth. It was considered a boring part of the story.

But for Serena–

“Seri? It’s about to start.”

“Just... give me a moment.”

Serena took a deep breath and turned to the next page.

<As Isolde grew past puberty, she fell in love. But it didn’t take her long to realize that this love was no different than bringing pretty pebbles into her room and lining them up. Pebbles easily become boring.>

‘Enough.’

Her heart raced uncontrollably.

In agony, Serena gritted her teeth and flipped the page.

<Ultimately, the parents who could have taught her about love had already died. Far too early.>

Upon realizing this, Isolde stopped engaging in faux love affairs. She coldly received the roses from knights, and she laughed off proposals from the sons of great nobles.

Isolde knew she was a pretender.

Confessing love to another pretender only confirms that she, too, was a fake.

-Isolde often found herself staring at the railing.

“Seri! Seri! The play has started!”

“...Yes.”

Pulled away from the script, Serena finished her makeup and headed to the stage.

The role she was to play was Isolde.

****

The Breeze Troupe was a small theater company.

Yet, every time there was a performance, the seats would always be filled with loyal patrons. Their talented actors and compelling scripts made it possible.

“Apologies! Due to an issue with makeup, the performance will be slightly delayed!”

The theater director bowed deeply in apology.

The audience, seeming understanding, clapped in response.

After a short while, the stage props were prepared, and the actors began to make their appearances.

“Today’s Isolde will be played by our newcomer, Miss Seri. Although she’s a rookie, she possesses exceptional acting skills. Please watch her performance with keen interest.”

The theater director bowed once more and exited the stage.

Click.

The lights went out.

The stage was plunged into darkness.

Now, it was the actors’ time.

And in that enveloping darkness, a man wearing a mask was watching the stage intently.

****

The atmosphere on stage was thickening.

Seri’s co-star’s performance wasn’t bad. The audience’s reactions were positive. It was the first time receiving such enthusiastic feedback.

Yet, something felt like it was just one step short.

The actor playing Jerron knelt down.

It was the part where he talked about their childhood, confessing his love.

“Isolde, do you remember? When we were little, I promised to give you a diamond ring. Instead of a diamond, I had picked up a pebble from the riverbank and given it to you.”

A playful smile tugged at the corner of Jerron’s lips, which soon turned serious.

“Do you know the meaning of a diamond?”

“Unchanging love.”

From the days when Isolde and Jerron were childhood friends, much time had passed.

They were no longer children. Yet Jerron was still speaking of that day.

From his pocket, Jerron pulled out a ring.

Adorned with a shining diamond.

“Run away with me, Isolde.”

It was the highlight.

With that, Jerron confessed that from that day onward, he had loved her unwaveringly.

Isolde realized that only Jerron truly loved her, and they disappeared together into the sunset.

That was the ending.

It was time for the final act.

Isolde slowly turned around, walking barefoot along the riverbank. With every step, she reminisced about the past. The audience’s breaths grew shorter.

“Jerron, I am…”

Turning her back, Isolde was facing the audience. In the end, Seri couldn’t fully immerse herself as Isolde. The Prince of the Night didn’t come.

“...Huh?”

Isolde let out a surprised sound.

A man in a black cloak, wearing a half-mask, was present.

He was in the audience.

Seri transformed back into Isolde.

“Isolde?”

From behind, the voice of the actor playing Jerron called out. There was a hint of confusion in his tone.

However, Isolde didn’t look in that direction.

She was gazing at the audience.

Where the Prince of the Night sat.

Seri inquired,

‘How does my performance look to you now?’

The Prince of the Night bowed his head.

He didn’t even open his eyes.

As if he was asleep.

Chilled by his cold response, she froze.

But she couldn’t stop here.

Isolde raised her voice.

“So this isn’t enough? Liar. You said you’d come to watch me, but you broke your promise.”

Isolde removed the wig from her makeup. Beneath it, her natural red hair was  revealed. With a sleeve, she wiped away her makeup, unveiling her true face.

Taking a step toward the audience, Seri confronted a groundbreaking moment.

“Shouldn’t we stop her?”

The director asked with concern. The theatre owner shook his head.

“Let it be. It’s best not to interfere with an actor’s improvisation... This might just become legendary.”

The distance was just two steps.

Seri looked at the Prince of the Night. Complex emotions filled her eyes.

With a burst of anger, she exclaimed,

“Liar! I really hate you!”

Murmurs rippled through the audience.

Everyone was in turmoil. Was this an agreed-upon direction in advance? An actor confronting the audience was unprecedented.

And who was that masked man?

An arranged actor?

The man with his eyes open gazed silently at Seri.

Though he spoke not a word, there was something captivating about him.

“...Too noisy.”

His words were cold.

The voice carried an undertone of irritation.

Seri looked at the audience.

They were all overwhelmed.

It felt as though a nail had been driven into their hearts. But she couldn’t back down now.

Seri took a step and placed her hand on her chest in a gentle gesture.

“I love you. Let’s leave together.”

......

Silence ensued.

Seri looked into the Prince of the Night’s eyes. Those eyes, they scorned her.

It was as if they conveyed he never imagined she could be such a person.

‘Why?’

And the Prince of the Night stood up.

“Don’t go. You... you...”

She wanted to call out his name.

But she didn’t know it.

She didn’t know his true identity.

The Prince of the Night began to walk away.

That was the end.

Seri reached out her hand, but she couldn’t grasp him.

She had crossed a line.

To him, who loved art, what on earth had she done? Was this not art, but merely a tantrum?

Strength drained from her legs.

“No... no. I... I don’t even have the right to hold him.”

Seri, sitting down in her hesitation, couldn’t hold back her tears.

And for a long while, she sat there crying.

“Sob... sniff... ahhhhh!”

No one could approach her in such a state.

For princess Serena Barba, the Second Princess of the Empire...

It was her first love and her first heartbreak.

****

‘Wow. That was a close call.’

Ascal, who had hastily run away to a spot out of sight from the theater group, caught his breath. He had run so hard that his heart raced.

Her voice served as a lullaby, and he was soon sound asleep.

Suddenly, it grew noisy. Opening his eyes, the actress playing Isolde stood before him. His throat was sore, perhaps from sleep talking.

And when Isolde suddenly removed her wig, revealing her true identity... he nearly passed out.

‘The sleeping pill turned out to be the Second Princess.’

He recognized her face instantly. A woman with red hair who plays theater as a hobby. It was none other than Serena Barba, the Second Princess of the Empire.

And depending on one’s perspective, Serena was a minefield, perhaps even more so than Yulia.

How could Serena ever compete with someone nearly superhuman like Yulia? It was because of her horrifyingly relentless determination and tenacity.

In the original work, Serena managed to corner Yulia successfully.

Though she ultimately failed in the end.

Anyway.

‘It’s fortunate I’m wearing this mask. Truly.’

Even with the lighting, it was a relatively dark night, and he was clad in a thick coat and a half mask. Even if Serena had sharp eyes, it would be difficult for her to recognize him. Even if they accidentally met later on.

“Yawn...”

But why on earth did Serena say those words to him? Was it ad-lib?

The one silver lining was that, thanks to all this, he did manage to get some sleep.

He felt he would be refreshed for work the next day.

Support Author

Join Discord