The Eldest Daughter Walks Down The Flower Path

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Chapter 33

Adapted from a chapter of the original novel, 〈 Knight Angela 〉, it was titled as 〈 Knight Angela and Two Men 〉 and was meant to be a farce.

At the beginning of the play, the romance between Dame Angela and Prince Christian was the main plot.

Radis, who didn’t know the original work’s content, fell in love with the sweet acting of the two main actors.

However, with the emergence of a new character named Lamia, there was a tonal shift in the play.

Lamia, who adores Christian, repeatedly bothered Angela and interfered with the group’s adventures.

Radis kept watching.

Honestly, she was annoyed by Lamia, but there were usually such obstacles in any story.

Soon, however, a cruel truth that Angela and Radis did not know was revealed.

It was the fact that Christian and Lamia were engaged.

“Whaaat?”

Radis was really, truly angry.

She let out one overdrawn sigh to soothe the boiling rage within her.

“What’s wrong?”

Meanwhile, Yves could barely hold in his boredom behind her. He asked what was wrong.

Radis couldn’t stand it anymore and dragged the limp Yves forward.

“Christian, that horrible jerk! He had a fiancée from the beginning, so why was he pursuing Angela so much?”

“Heroes are originally such lechers…”

“The hero is Angela, not Christian.”

“Then she’s still connected to Verno. Seeing how sad his song was for her, I think Verno’s serious about Angela.”

“Right. Verno’s muuuch better than Christian. And with Lamia, I wondered what kind of problem she had with Angela when she was bothering her, but she deserved it. She saw her fiancé being lovey-dovey with someone else—if it’s to that extent, then she was even too nice.”

“Nice? Didn’t you see how much she bothered them?”

Radis pretended to break something with both her hands.”

Seeing this, Yves only shook his head.

“I don’t know who would ever have a woman like you.”

“There’s no need for you to worry about that, Marquis.”

Radis focused on the play again.

Behind her, Yves eagerly met Olivier’s gaze, but Radis didn’t notice.

This was because the play was reaching the climax.

Angela, who realized Christian’s betrayal, fell into a deep despair.

Her love was infinitely pure, and so the resulting despair was deeper and darker.

The climax of the play was when Angela’s red flames turned black.

The red sword she had been using to cut her enemies without hesitation so far had turned black.

Angela couldn’t move, as though she’d become stone.

Dark fairies came out and danced round and round the unmoving Angela, and finally, Angela collapsed.

Cries of sorrow erupted from all over the audience.

It was at that moment.

“Angela!”

Verno appeared. He raised Angela and embraced her.

Angela, who was in his arms, looked as though she had already passed away, and he sang a sorrowful, mournful song full of love.

“Hiic…!”

At Verno’s song, Radis burst into tears. She blew her nose into a handkerchief and shed many tears.

Verno’s true love for Angela made her open her eyes again.

The darkness receded, and red fairies jumped out to the stage, dancing in excitement.

“Oh!”

Radis was startled.

The wise Luminus was coming down from the sky!

To be exact, he was hanging from a rope tied to the ceiling and was slowly descending, but.

“Ahh, pure love has saved this world!”

As the wise Luminus descended from the sky, the audience on the first floor cried out in surprise.

“As it is providence, it is also fate!”

Luminous proclaimed this with a deep, loud voice, waving his long white sleeves hard—perhaps because it was difficult to balance in the air.

All the actors came up on the stage and danced beautifully, and so, the play ended there.

Radis clapped her hands along with the others.

Until her palms felt numb.

“Radis.”

As he grabbed her shoulder, Yves Russell flinched.

Radis was crying so much with a runny nose.

“Marquis!”

With tears pouring down her cheeks, Radis continued.

“For bringing me here, thank you so much…! I will never forget this grace!”

It was the first time in Radis’ life that she was so moved to the point of tears.

Like the marquis, the play was magnificent.

Yves was flustered.

“Why are you crying? Was it so sad that you started crying?”

“It’s not that I’m sad, it’s because I’m touched!”

“Goodness, here…”

Yves smiled as he took out a handkerchief.

Then, he held Radis’ chin and carefully wiped her eyes and nose with the soft handkerchief.

“Was it that fun to watch?”

While her chin was still in his hand, Radis nodded several times.

It felt like she had escaped into a wonderful dream.

She had never gotten the chance to feel this way before.

She realized that this might be the reason why even the indolent David would come to the theater while he was in disguise.

With a smile, Yves let go.

Then, he placed an envelope in her hand.

Radis asked as she sniffled.

“What’s this?”

“Open it, my remarkable stepping stone.”

Radis took out a note from inside the envelope.

The content was short. –

[ The next time we meet, can you smile at me, too? —O.A. ]

Radis’ swollen eyes looked up at Yves, who was smiling broadly while raising one thumb.

“What’s… this?”

“You did great, Radis!”

“With what…? His Highness… is here?”

“He was, but he already left.”

Yves pointed upward.

Only a few meters away, Radis could see a brilliant balcony that was exceptionally decorated.

The curtains were closed now, as if no one should know what’s inside.

In that second, Radis’ expression changed.

Surprise. Shock. Anger.

Now, the angry Radis grabbed Yves Russell’s raised thumb and squeezed it tightly.

“I thought it was weird. Did you bring me here just to do this?”

The play, the amethyst necklace, and this balcony seat!

“Aack!”

All of this was the scheme of Yves Russell, who donned black clothes on the outside, and was likewise evil on the inside.

Shaking Yves Russell’s thumb recklessly, Radis shouted.

“Sure, I already know. I knew from the very beginning that you’re only using me. But can’t you at least give me a warning in advance?!”

“R-Radis, it hurts!”

As the balcony grew noisy, an usher looked inside.

But after grasping the situation, the usher stepped down with a pleased smile.

That’s because, on the surface, the tall Marquis Russell and the cute Radis were so close together and seemed to be bickering while holding hands.

However, Yves Russell was truly, utterly in pain.

“Ahh, ow ow OW! Ra, Radis? It k-kinda, really hurts? Can’t you let go?”

With narrowed eyes, Radis looked down at the swollen thumb.

‘This… Should I break it?’

Seeing her expression becoming strange all of a sudden, Yves Russell backed down.

“I-I’m sorry! I went too far, right? S-So, please, this, just first let go of this and we can talk…!”

Radis glared at Yves with a terrifying gaze.

But she soon let go of Yves’ hand with a sigh.

He was her employer, moreover a marquis, and he had even shown her a play today.

“My finger…!”

Yves Russell exclaimed as he looked at his red thumb.

“Radis… You, why are you so strong?”

As she huffed out hot air through her nose and left the balcony, stomping away while holding Prince Olivier’s note and the play pamphlet with her.

‘If I was being serious, you wouldn’t be standing there right now, Marquis!’

Blowing Yves stared at Radis’ back as she left.

“Wow, how can a woman be like that? As time goes by, I really can’t stand that prince’s taste.”

It felt like he was going to die from the pain on his thumb, but even so, Yves was in a good mood.

With his sore thumb raised, he smiled brightly.

“Hehe… hehehe, bwahahaha!”

In the past few years, just how much effort did he put into approaching Prince Olivier!

According to Yves Russell’s judgment, the next person who would sit on the throne, succeeding the current Emperor Claude Arpend, would be the Third Prince Olivier and no one else.

Yet he was not a competent emperor.

It was obvious that if the next emperor would be Charles, the entire empire would fall into the hands of Empress Adrianne and her father the Duke of Lebeloia, along with the Iziad political party, of which the center of power was the duke.

The emperor also knew this fact, which was why he had yet to appoint First Prince Charles as the crown prince.

Gabriel, the second prince, was popular amongst the general public, but because his biological mother, Mirena, was a commoner, it was holding him back from taking up the throne.

Next, then, was the third prince, Olivier Arpend.

Compared to Charles, who always caused trouble, and Gabriel, who was popular with the empire’s people, Third Prince Olivier had never received attention.

However, his capabilities were superior to anyone else. Apart from that, his mother, the former Empress Ziartine, was from the House of Pelletier. It’s one of the most affluent families in the empire.

In addition, Olivier was the most popular among the aristocrats because of his beautiful, doll-like appearance and seemingly eccentric attitude.

It was a famous fact as well that even Adrianne, who had deposed Ziartine and became the current empress, favored Olivier.

‘That’s probably because the Third Prince hasn’t revealed his true nature yet.’

Yves was sure that Olivier had a different face.

Why else did he need to wear such a solid, ice mask?

Masks were necessary to hide your face.

Of course, Yves couldn’t support Olivier so openly right now.

However, if he could manage to find a way to connect with Olivier in advance, when there came a time that Olivier would need strength, he would surely seek out Marquis Russell.

At this point, he would be just the person the prince needed. Marquis Russell would no longer just be a marquis.

‘The Russell Marquisate will become the Russell Duchy…!’

Beneath the dark fringe over his face, Yves Russell’s eyes flared with ambition.

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