# 70
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The impact of having a big show with Ian in front of everyone was amazing.
It not only caught the attention of people who were already in the square, but also those who were farther away, slowly approaching to get a better look at us.
The more onlookers looked in our direction, the more I clung to Ian's arm like chewing gum, pretending not to let go.
“But sir, I feel a little dizzy, maybe from the carriage ride...”
I added an extra touch of pretending to stagger and cling to him
I had no idea what made him act like that.
'Okay...but what should I do next?'
I shamelessly leaned against his chest, looking around mischievously.
I left the place after I saw the article in the newspaper, but now I don't know what to do next.
I had already done a lot of shopping, and it felt so tacky to do it again.
It wasn't time to eat yet, and we couldn't wander aimlessly around the square forever.
While I was seriously thinking about what I should do, Ian, who had been watching me, spoke up.
“Is there somewhere you want to go?”
If there was a place, would I still do this?
I raised my head and blinked dramatically instead of answering.
His eyebrow twitched slightly at my exaggerated expression.
It was a simple reaction that only I would have noticed.
'Ah, it's the Grand Duke.'
For a moment, she wondered if he had eaten something strange or if an imposter had taken over his body, but after sensing the subtle hint of arrogance from him, she felt reassured.
While I was deep in thought, Ian checked his pocket watch and said,
“Do you like shows?”
“Offers?”
“Plays or operas.”
Suddenly out of nowhere?
“Well, yeah, I guess...”
I would watch musicals and plays sometimes when I lived in Korea, but not often because they were expensive.
Ian nodded, as if this was the answer he had been waiting for.
"Then let's go. There's a show at a nearby theater in thirty minutes. They're a well-known band."
“Huh?”
In thirty minutes?
She blinked rapidly, clearly surprised.
How did he know that?
As if he was reading my thoughts, Ian answered without even looking at me.
“I discovered it by accident.”
You've been with me the whole time, though.
'What's the story of all these coincidences between Duke Roger and Ian?'
Duke Haydn Roger happened to make a reservation at a restaurant that was impossible to book easily, and now Ian knew the show schedule at the Grand Theater.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
'Surely, he didn't look up the show schedule at that hour when he had to get ready?'
The thought crossed my mind briefly, but I quickly dismissed it.
This man couldn't bear to do something like this.
"That's okay. It sounds like fun."
Anyway, it wasn't a bad suggestion for me.
We can't waste time standing in this vast arena forever.
Once I quietly agreed, he led me towards the stage.
It was only a five-minute walk from the Grand Square.
Looking at the huge crowd near the stage, Ian wasn't wrong about the band's popularity.
As we approached, still arm in arm, I felt many eyes on us.
“Oh my God, look over there.”
“Isn’t this the Duke and Grand Duchess?”
“But that's not what was said in the Aria Newsletter column, is it? It was suggested that the Duchess was in some sort of entanglement with Duke Roger.”
“Yes, that doesn't seem to be the case after all.”
I smiled in relief when I heard their murmurs.
This is exactly what I wanted.
Meanwhile, Ian seemed completely indifferent to the chatter, heading straight for the entrance.
'Wait a minute, do we have tickets?'
I wondered for a moment, but my worry quickly faded.
When one of the employees recognized us, he sighed and rushed over barefoot to greet us.
At the same time, they discreetly used the magic communication device on their wrist to report the situation.
“Your Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cloud. It is an honor to meet you.”
I'm starting to get used to these overly formal greetings now.
While I was briefly thinking about this, the agitated employee cleared his throat and turned to Ian.
“We have prepared – no, I mean, we have already arranged the best seats for you both. Please follow me.”
He bowed repeatedly and stuttered so much that it was confusing.
Ian turned to me, frowning slightly.
“...Shall we go?”
“Ah, yes.”
We followed the sycophantic clerk to the grand theatre.
The employee walked three steps in front of us, quickly led us to the second floor and pulled the curtain down in the middle of the corridor.
Inside was a private seat with a perfect view of the stage.
“These are your assigned seats.”
“Ah…”
A seat on the balcony, like you've heard about in stories.
If you think about it, you've heard that in this era, nobles would buy seats and visit the place whenever they wanted to watch a show.
'Then worrying about tickets wasn't necessary in the first place.'
I realized this as I quietly entered the curtain.
But the real problem was elsewhere.
On the balcony there was a single sofa, large enough to seat only two people.
'Wait... are we going to sit together?'
The sofa was cramped, even for two people.
While I had managed to keep up my courage in front of people earlier, the thought of sitting side by side with Ian in such a tight space made my head spin.
Ian also looked a little surprised, as if this was something he hadn't expected.
“Um…”
He looked around awkwardly for a moment, but then he saw the servant watching us from a few steps away.
This made me change my mind.
“Let's sit down.”
What does it matter if I feel embarrassed? People abroad were eager to associate me with Duke Roger.
Ian, who had been watching my determined expression with curiosity, seemed to quickly catch on to the situation, and gave up.
It was good to perform abroad, so why hesitate now?
I sat down on the couch and patted the spot next to me.
“Please, sit down, Duke.”
Let's see how it feels to sit uncomfortably in a narrow seat for two hours.
"…Yes."
Ian sighed – either in resignation or in response – and sat down next to me, leaving a very small gap between us.
Surprisingly, I was the one who became confused.
'We... are closer than I thought?'
Even though I knew it was a narrow seat, I didn't expect that one slight movement would make our shoulders touch each other.
'They could have afforded a bigger sofa with all the money they had...!'
Of course, I understood that it was designed this way for nobles looking for an intimate moment in a dark, quiet theatre, but that was not welcoming to me now.
I had to do my best not to accidentally turn my body towards Ian.
At that moment, a server approached us with a menu.
“What would you like for refreshments and snacks?”
“Choose what you want.”
“Hmm...”
Don't look at me, don't turn your head.
I hunched my shoulders and leaned away from Ian, leafing through the menu. Honestly, in this situation, nothing would taste good anyway…
“Just bring some simple Darjeeling tea. And some pancakes too.”
“Yes, immediately.”
The server bowed and left, and I quickly picked up the booklet, trying to distract myf from Ian who was sitting next to me.
On the first page, the title of today's show was written: The Cursed Princess and the Immortal Knight.
'Judging by the title, it must be a love story.'
On the back, as Ian said, he explained that this was a final performance by a famous opera company, concluding its empire-wide tour here in the capital.
While I was busy focusing on the brochure, the servant returned, pushing a cart.
“Here are your tea pies and your Darjeeling tea...”
Then it happened.
The teapot slipped from the servant's hand as he stumbled.
Before I could respond, hot tea spilled at me.
"Yes…!"
I closed my eyes tightly, preparing myf for the burning tea to fall on me.
The sound of dripping liquid was clear in the air.
But after a few seconds, I felt no heat, no sensation at all.
“Huh…?”
Slowly, I opened my eyes – I was in complete shock.