Chapter 8

Then, all of a sudden, I came to my senses.

I hadn’t come here to watch the performance alone.

This was a date…

I’d been so absorbed in the play that I’d completely forgotten to check on Kai.

I hurriedly turned my head.

“……”

Kai wasn’t watching the puppet show.

With his chin resting on one hand, he was looking at me instead.

His gaze was so intense and profound that I momentarily held my breath.

“…How long have you been watching me?”

At my question, Kai smiled faintly.

It wasn’t the playful smile he’d shown me until now.

“Since you started shedding a few tears, Regina. I’ve been watching only you.”

“…!”

I hastily wiped the corners of my eyes.

Moisture stained the back of my hand.

Had I been crying without even realizing it?

Feeling embarrassed, I cleared my throat and looked away.

“The play… must have been a little sad.”

“Did you like it that much? Enough to want to watch this particular play with me?”

Kai’s voice sank to a low, quiet tone.

I hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“…I heard you were born on a battlefield.”

Kai suddenly spoke.

“…?”

I searched my memory, wondering whether I’d told him that much during our previous meeting.

No, I hadn’t. Why would I bring up something like that on my own?

Well, my story was a famous source of gossip in the capital’s high society, after all.

“Word travels fast, I see. That’s right.”

I confirmed it calmly.

People whispered that my origins were lowborn or barbaric.

Others called me fascinating and stared at me as though I were a monkey in a zoo.

Kai’s eyes wavered.

“Is that why you like it? The play? Because it makes you feel as though you’re being compensated for your time on the battlefield, for all that suffering?”

His question was sharp.

A knight who upheld his oath through death and was finally acknowledged by the princess.

Was that the kind of ending he thought I wanted?

But I shook my head.

“No.”

I gave my head a slight shake.

“I’ve never expected anything in return from anyone in my life. My life hasn’t been so impoverished that I’ve needed to seek compensation for it.”

At my words, Kai’s eyes widened.

“I know what you’re curious about. I’ve been asked questions like that countless times.”

I spoke calmly, fiddling with my teacup.

“I also understand that, from a certain perspective, my life might look difficult.”

I shrugged.

A woman born on a battlefield who grew up holding a sword instead of a toy.

A woman who never got to play with dolls like other girls and reached adulthood rolling around in the stench of blood.

People often confined my life within the framework of a tragedy or a cruel fate and pitied me.

“But I’m telling you I’m fine because I really am fine… There’s nothing else I can say. Besides, I’ve never given the matter much thought in the first place.”

I paused for a moment, then added, scratching my cheek with a hint of embarrassment.

“And to be honest…”

“…?”

“The reason I thought I should watch this play with you… was that knight.”

I gestured toward the knight puppet lying broken and battered on the stage.

“The knight’s love for the princess is so unwavering and persistent. I thought it was a virtue that’s become rare these days.”

The heart of someone who keeps their oath to the very end, asking for nothing in return for the person they love.

I’d wanted Kai to feel that same pure passion.

At my words, Kai couldn’t say anything for a while.

He stared at me blankly.

It was as though I’d spoken to him in some incomprehensible ancient language, and he was turning my words over and over in his mind, trying to understand them.

“Regina.”

After a long silence, he called my name in a low voice.

“I think I’ve been completely wrong about you.”

“Hm?”

When I tilted my head, Kai looked at me with an unusually serious expression, devoid of his usual amusement.

“Even though I told myself I shouldn’t… I suppose I’ve been caught up in the same old prejudices, too.”

Kai snapped his fingers lightly.

“You may all leave.”

The puppet master and the staff, who had been waiting backstage, bowed their heads and left the theater.

For a moment, I was surprised by Kai’s attitude.

His command had been so natural and authoritative.

Every gesture carried an undeniable air of dignity, as though he’d spent his entire life giving orders to others.

That’s a little unexpected… But he’s still a noble, so I suppose he’s used to having servants.

Once everyone had left, only the two of us remained in the theater.

In the silence, Kai’s gaze rested entirely on me.

He spoke again, a gentle smile returning to his face.

“During our first meeting, I thought it was nothing more than an amusing coincidence that the two of us had ended up meeting.”

His voice flowed sweetly into my ears.

“But now… I genuinely want to get to know you, Regina.”

My heart gave a loud thump.

This wasn’t playful curiosity. It was a sincere confession.

“So I’ll be the one to ask you on our next date. And…”

He paused for a moment before adding, his eyes turning solemn.

“When that time comes, I’ll tell you something very important.”

“Something important?”

“Yes. Something between you and me… Something we absolutely need to discuss.”

Was he going to reveal the amount of his debts?

Or perhaps he had some hidden illness?

My curiosity was piqued, but Kai said he wanted to make the proper preparations before telling me, so I nodded.

“All right. I’ll wait.”

When I checked the clock, I realized it was already approaching dinnertime.

As I prepared for my second meeting with Kai, I recalled the Strategies for a Successful Blind Date book I’d found and read in the library.

“Then, for the rest of today, perhaps we could have dinner together…”

I was about to make the suggestion as naturally as possible when Kai stood up with a troubled expression.

“I’m sorry, Regina. I really hate to do this, but… I have to leave in a hurry.”

“You have to go? Already?”

“Yes. I’ve got a mountain of work waiting for me.”

He sighed and shook his head.

He was probably going off to work a night shift to pay off his debts.

I felt sorry for him.

To think that someone with such a beautiful face had to work through the night.

Swallowing my disappointment, I nodded.

“It can’t be helped. If you’re busy, I won’t keep you.”

We left the theater.

One by one, the streetlamps were lighting up along the darkening streets.

“Is it still too early for me to escort you home, even on our second meeting?”

I asked subtly.

Kai burst into bright laughter.

“Hahaha! I suppose it is. Haven’t you heard that the third date is when things really start getting serious?”

He winked playfully and gave my shoulder a light pat.

“Then take care on your way home. I’ll contact you next time.”

Kai waved and disappeared into the darkness.

His footsteps were still light, but there was something about him that suggested he was in a hurry.

I waited until his presence had completely vanished, then let out a small sigh.

“Phew…”

On my way home, I looked up at the night sky and thought to myself.

Today wasn’t bad, either.

No, it had been good.

His serious gaze, the voice with which he’d tried to understand me.

It would have been even better if we’d had dinner together.

In fact, I’d already made a reservation at the restaurant said to have the best view in the capital.

It was a shame, but I supposed I’d have to save it for next time.

After walking for quite a while, I finally arrived home and opened the mansion’s front door.

Two black shadows suddenly sprang out from behind the entrance pillars.

“Regina!”

It was my father and older brother.

They rushed toward me like predators pouncing on their prey.

“How did it go? He asked you to lend him money, didn’t he? Or did he finally run away in tears this time?”

“You didn’t like him after seeing him again, did you? Tell me you didn’t like him!”

I listened quietly to their barrage of questions before opening my mouth indifferently.

“He turned down my invitation to dinner.”

“……What?!”