Chapter 24
***
7. Nevertheless
Afterward, several invited singers and musicians gave excellent singing and playing, and the atmosphere in the salon became cheerful. The Empress was in good spirits and seemed more animated than usual, and nothing that her guests had feared had happened.
Princess Loella didn't seem to be doing anything differently today. The way she glared at Laila from the corner of her reddened eyes suggested that she was angry at the failure of her plan, but she didn't seem to be in a position to criticize Laila’s impeccable behavior.
The assembled guests, mostly music lovers, were very pleased with the evening's performances, especially Marquis Salier, who was so excited that he couldn't let go of Luna. She was definitely the standout performer today.
Most of the people who took an interest in Zion were women. He received handkerchiefs or flowers from almost all of them. Some of them had their names and addresses written on them.
But it was Laila who made the strongest impression of all: she was graceful and dignified, sandwiched between people who were commenting on the harpist who had played at the end, and her presence was so strong that even those who were talking about other things would glance over at her.
Ferdinand, the young Count of Capelin, who was not part of any of the conversations, but was sipping his drink by the refreshment table, heard a few women talking.
"Who do you think made that dress?"
"It must have been made as a stage costume, otherwise how could it be black when it's not even formal wear?"
"Black or whatever, pretty is pretty, just wait. I'll go ask her."
Ferdinand smiled. It was true that what Lady Laila was wearing was unlike anything he'd ever seen before, and yet it stood out amongst all the gorgeous evening gowns in the salon.
That dress, and that wide-brimmed hat, would probably become fashionable very soon. People seemed to be drawn to her, even though they knew that Prince Loella was hostile to her, and it was easy to see why she was causing a stir in social circles.
'I hope the Princess doesn't make any more noise....'
It seemed unlikely.
Laila was too striking. It wasn't just a matter of being beautiful. She had presence and dignity. You could say that she had the weight of a person.
Today's opera was no different. The production at the end was brilliant, but it wouldn't have had the same effect if it weren't for Lady Laila emerging from behind the curtain.
Well, Ezekiel Schwaben would keep the Princess in line.
With that thought, Ferdinand suddenly cast his gaze around the salon in search of Ezekiel, only to realize that he was already gone.
It was unexpected. He was not much of a social butterfly, but when he did attend, he took his time. And he'd left when the Empress was still there.
Princess Loella was nowhere to be seen. She must have left with Ezekiel.
"Hmm.”
There was a reason the Princess was quiet.
Ferdinand's gaze darted from place to place as he pondered this, until he locked eyes with a young woman.
Her face flushed with shyness as she met his dusky green eyes. Ferdinand thought he'd made a mistake, but gave her a polite little smile.
Then he turned his head, and Lady Laila was already close.
"Good evening, Count Capelin.”
"Good evening, Lady Laila. It is a pleasure to meet you."
Ferdinand bowed politely to her. Laila smiled.
"Are you surprised that I spoke to you out of the blue? The color of the cocktail you're holding is so pretty, I was going to ask you what it is."
"Ah."
Ferdinand let out a short gasp as he looked at the red liquor he was holding. It would certainly look beautiful in Laila’s hands, dressed in a head-to-toe black dress.
Maybe he was talking to himself thinking about it, he thought.
"I don't know its name, please wait a moment."
He happily summoned a servant for the lady, asked for the name of the cocktail, asked for another, and then looked at Laila.
She was even more beautiful up close. At the same time, Ferdinand felt a slight sense of déjà vu: women of this beauty were so rare that he should have recognized her somewhere, but he couldn't remember.
They chatted for a while about tonight's performance. They didn't wait long before a servant came with cocktails.
Ferdinand expected Laila to accept the glass and leave him. But she didn't.
"Is there anything you would like to tell me?"
"I'm sure there are plenty of women who would be interested in Count Capelin, so why do you look so surprised?"
Laila said, smiling nonchalantly. Ferdinand shook his head lightly.
"Well, there aren't many who are seriously interested in the son of a dying family."
"What are you talking about, the Count of Capelin's declining family?"
"I'm talking about the future. It's not often that a family survives the fall of the main house, though you've only just arrived from Raniere, so you probably don't know."
Ferdinand smirked. It would be an insult if anyone else said it, but if he said it, it could be a joke.
Laila, however, was unfazed and kept her smile on her face.
"I don't know much about the noble families of Sirah, but as a theater owner, I can't help but be intrigued by the owner of the Lich Theater."
Ferdinand looked at Laila in surprise, it was a little known fact. Although the Lich Theater was a fairly decent theater, it was not a large fortune and had not been in his possession for long.
"I'm not involved in the running of the theater, and besides, from what I've seen today, any repertoire from the Marel troupe would be welcome."
"You mean you're not willing to meet with me?"
Ferdinand coughed; he hadn't meant it that way; he was a man who could separate beauty from the person, but it was impossible not to be intrigued by this woman.
She smiled.
"I should give you my business card, but since this is the imperial palace, I am not accompanied by a maid, and my clothes have no pockets. Would you mind if I wrote to you later?"
"I will come to greet you."
"I would be more grateful if you did."
Laila said softly.
Then she glanced back into the salon. Zion made eye contact with her and winked. Confident, she smiled gently.
It was a success.
***
Silence filled the Duke of Schwaben’s carriage.
Ezekiel kept his mouth shut, as if he were angry about something, and Loella felt it.
He left as soon as the performance was over and the banquet began. Loella hurried out after him. But Ezekiel didn't even look at her.
And so it remained. He didn't even stop her from following him into the carriage. This was strange. Normally, Ezekiel would have told her not to, even if he had to leave early for work. She sensed something was wrong.
But Ezekiel knew she was staring at him, and he couldn't care less.
"In anger, in mockery.”
The words of the song the actor was singing replayed in his head. Why was he so angry?
The woman was beautiful. Ezekiel had to admit it. His wick felt like it was on fire, and he suddenly felt his cock getting hard.
It was no big deal; he was not a man without lust. If he liked her, he could go talk to her, offer to be his mistress. A noble mistress would be a bit of a hassle to deal with, but he could afford to pay her, and her family, well enough.
Loella would be annoyed again, but she should understand a mistress or two. As it had been so far.
If his offer was rejected, that would be the end of it.
But he felt strangely angry. He couldn't understand what he was so angry about.
***
To donate for extra chapters for my series or to tip me visit my kofi page
Write a comment
Gardenia (Saturday, 23 November 2024 02:20)
Curtain call is my second favorites now. It is so good and captivating story. I could not wait for long�