The Heroines Are After My Fortune

25 – A Woman’s Heart

CRASH!!

A flowerpot that sat in the Marquis Raphael’s study shattered with a loud, bursting sound.

“Was my word so funny? I told you to stop any rash actions, no matter the cost…!”

“…I apologize, Marquis.”

The cause was, of course, Renee’s appearance on stage. Right now every newspaper in the city was talking about her. He had never dreamed such a thing would happen while he was away on a short business trip to another province.

「Renee Este, the protagonist of a shocking debut, who is she?」

「A theatrical genius from the Marquis family has emerged? A divine performance in a large-scale play, appearing as a substitute.」

「Ninety minutes of being enchanted, never before has there been such an actor.」

It was entirely an overwhelming chorus of praise, but Raphael felt no joy whatsoever.

It wasn’t the lowly rabble he was wary of, but the elite cliques that steered the Empire. He feared whispers amongst the core nobility, that he couldn’t even manage a single daughter and had turned her into a public spectacle. While he was stewing over this, the phone in his office blared to life.

[Hey, Rafael. Your daughter is quite the talk of the town.]

It was Duke Artur on the line.

The Marquis pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking, ‘So soon…’ He was one of the nobles he’d been close with since childhood, but now their friendship was far from pure, more a calculated alliance of mutual gain.

“Are you calling to tease me?”

[What nonsense. Why would I tease you? I’m calling in pure admiration!]

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

[I went to see your daughter’s play with some friends, those who appreciate culture. That girl has some truly awe-inspiring talent. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this impressed, ha ha!]

The Marquis was flustered.

He’d assumed she would surely become a laughingstock, but instead, he was receiving lavish praise? For a good ten minutes, Duke Artur did not cease his showering of compliments upon his daughter. The Marquis’s mood grew ever brighter, his shoulders puffed up with pride.

[Rene will surely be in the remaining performances, yes? I’ve told all the nobles around me that it’s a show they’d regret missing for their whole lives, so it would be troublesome if your daughter did not appear.]

“Of course, wouldn’t it be? How could we put on a play without the lead? Ha ha—!”

As if he had never been consumed by rage, the Marquis roared with laughter, filling his office with the sound.

####

After the play ended, the Church folk arrived without fail.

Though they weren’t as imposing as they’d been after the first performance, they were still clearly uncomfortable.

“Ahem, the Este family… they’re a bit of a concern, wouldn’t you agree?”

“We are not making any unreasonable demands! Have some confidence!”

Despite their hesitation, the priests who had sought me out were aware.

Of the identity of the someone I was with.

“Holy Saintess…!?”

Gleaming gold hair, a priest’s robe that clung to her form, an unblemished and beautiful face. No matter how you looked at it, it was Saintess Dimona. Everyone seemed utterly shocked at why she was here.

“Greetings. Father Petrucio, Father Marco, Father Philip, Father Ruben.”

“…What brings the Saintess to this place?”

“I was moved by the play’s content and was able to rediscover a forgotten sense of purpose. Therefore, I came to express my gratitude.”

“Ahem, you were moved by *that* play?”

The priests’ jaws hung slack in disbelief. The collective thought was, ‘Moved by a play where a cleric’s head gets chopped off?’ She, however, without so much as a flicker in her expression, began to share her feelings.

“The scene of John the Baptist losing his life felt like no distant story. No matter how high their station, even a saint can fall to an uncontrollable madness. Sometimes, when facing an unavoidable disaster, it is more important to show a flexible response, rather than an overwhelming force. Of course, I acknowledge the decadent expression could be unpleasant to some, but I believe it was an excellent play from which the current Papal Court could draw a reference point.”

“Ah, um. I see…?”

Interpretation of a work is like attaching an earring to an ear, or a nose ring to a nose. It all depends on how you see it.

Unable to refute an interpretation defined by the very mascot of the Papal Court, they were in a situation that offered no escape.

‘Okay, fine. Call it blasphemy. But what are you going to do about it?’

My auto-hunting Saintess, a crazy b*tch aside, is too damn reliable.

“What brings you all here?”

Dimona asked with a smile, and they looked at each other awkwardly before switching gears.

“Haha, of course, we were also moved and came here…! “

“A very splendid play it was. A performance worthy of the Saintess’ admiration!”

Saying that, they peeked around cautiously before scurrying away in a rush.

“…This should be enough, right Aiden-nim.”

“Thank you, Saintess.”

“I should be the one giving thanks. I had a very amusing play to watch, all thanks to you.”

“You weren’t just saying that?”

“I am incapable of telling lies.”

Seems like she truly enjoyed it. Saying she can’t lie, is not wrong within the confines of her ‘current persona’. Her expression quickly shifted to one of concern as she asked me,

“It seems you’re always choosing the most difficult path, Aiden-nim. Is there a reason?”

“Because if I don’t take the difficult path, I cannot obtain what I desire. That is all.”

In this world where status and power hold such an absurdly high value, you can’t overcome those high walls so easily. If there was an easy way, I’d take it.

“……Is that so.”

Perhaps she glimpsed a bit of my struggle.

Deemona began to approach me, regarding me with a look of pity. It was at that very moment,

“Baron Aiden, your sister gave me a flower….”

“………!”

Renee and the Saint locked eyes.

“Why are you here?”

The first encounter between them since the banquet,

Renee made no attempt to hide her hostility towards the Saint.

####

As the performance concluded, Renee was met with a deluge of visitors and congratulations.

“Oh, young lady…! To think you possessed such an overwhelming talent for the arts…! This humble servant could hardly tear his eyes away!”

“I was deeply moved by this play…! Would you perhaps be available for a short interview?!”

Nobles, their names already fading, yet here they were, pretending they knew me, journalists swarming, each angling for a snatch of my words, and folks, flowers in hand, wanting to share in my joy. The visitors were a motley crew. Among them, a guest I hadn’t even considered.

“Miss Renee!”

“…Miss Elena?”

It was Aiden’s younger sister, Elena Roen herself, flowers clutched in hand, come to celebrate the performance.

“That was such a magnificent performance! Miss Renee, you’re truly the one I admire most…!”

Her eyes sparkled as she offered Renee the bouquet. Unlike the others, no hint of falseness tainted her presence. Renee felt a strange, ticklish sensation. It was undeniably fresh, and not at all unpleasant.

“Thank you, I’m truly delighted.”

Renee offered a bright smile.

In the original story, they were enemies, yet, ironically, Renee felt a strong urge toward Elena.

‘…I want to befriend this child.’

She didn’t quite know the reason, but this desire to be close to her was undeniable.

Or rather, it wasn’t that she *didn’t* know, more like she just couldn’t be bothered to dissect it, but the truth was, she rather liked this pure young woman. After promising to invite Elena to the manor sometime, Renee asked about Aiden’s whereabouts.

“Ah, Oppa is just over in the back passage, I believe?”

“Thank you, Elena. You must come visit our manor soon…!”

After their goodbyes, she pushed past the swarming flies and made her way to the passage in search of Aiden. There, she encountered the very person she’d least wanted to see.

“…Why are *you* here?”

The Saintess,

The one the Papal Authority had put forward for a political marriage to Aiden, was standing right here.

‘Is she holding a grudge because of what happened at the last banquet…?’

Renee, wary, wondered if she was here, representing the Papal Authority, to pick a fight.

“Don’t be wary. I’ve come to help.”

“…Ah.”

That wasn’t the truth.

The words of coming to help, it allowed her to grasp at once how the situation had turned. While debating whether to be grateful to this person she didn’t much like, Dimona had already begun to take her leave.

“I’ll be going now. Aiden-nim, Rene-nim, may you be well.”

The Saintess, who seemed to be disappearing so quietly –

“In two months, I’ll be looking forward to it….”

“……………?!”

She whispered the meaningful words into Aiden’s ear as she passed.

The problem was, whether intended or a simple mistake, Dimona’s words reached Rene’s ears clearly as well.

‘Two months…?’

The timing matched precisely when her plan with Aiden was supposed to end.

A bad premonition arose, yet she couldn’t readily ask. She was afraid of being suspected for questioning something so personal.

‘…It’s probably nothing.’

Suppressing the creeping unease, Rene asked what she had been wanting to ask him all along.

“Aiden, my lord, how did you find my acting today?”

“There is nothing left for me to teach you. It was magnificent.”

“…!”

Rene’s expression was instantly painted with delight.

More than the flashy flattery of those nobles, all hot air and slick tongues, just one simple compliment from Aiden made her heart flutter.

He was the one who’d shown her everything she could use on stage, the one who’d gotten her this far. That swelling feeling naturally shifted into a single emotion: gratitude.

‘I couldn’t say it at the improv, thank you.’

This time, Renée was going to express it.

Her thanks to him.

“Thank you, it’s all thanks to Baron Aiden.”

How would he react, she wondered?

She felt the heat rising slowly in her cheeks as she barely managed to ask, but,

“This is no time to thank me, my lady.”

“…………?”

His response was icy cold. Normally, he’d have set everything aside to share the joy of this success with her, but the fact he had to deal with the business of ‘another woman after his wealth’ without any rest after this, created impatience in his heart.

“I understand your excitement, but you’ve only just reached the starting line. If you let your guard down so carelessly before it’s over, it’ll be troublesome. You and I both know perfectly well why we’re here.”

“……………….”

It was frustrating, but true.

She’d only just reached the starting line, and she couldn’t let her guard down – it was all true.

Aiden had taught Renée with all his heart because, not out of any other emotion, but ‘in order not to marry her.’

“Hmph, I haven’t forgotten it even once.”

With those words, Renée quickly turned her head away, avoiding Aiden’s eyes.

Right now, she couldn’t meet his gaze.

‘…My heart is confused.’

Like a skein of thread tangled in dozens of ways, her mind couldn’t find its bearings.

The great stirring from when the Saintess left, uttering those strange words,

The pinprick pain in his chest at her words, an ache.

Now, Rene could not deny it.

Since when had he burrowed into the depths of his heart?