The Lady Only Deals With the Real Ones - Chapter 226

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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“So, you’re saying that Kalamain actually likes the Manager?”

“If you look at the big picture, yes?”

Tesagh was ready to believe a stone was a ruby if I said so, but this seemed hard for him to believe.

“Why would he do such things to someone he likes? To provoke jealousy? Rather than making her jealous, it would just kill all affection.”

His face showed complete incomprehension.

Well, I knew better than anyone how he treated someone he liked. So it was understandable that this didn’t make sense.

But in some ways, Tesagh had seen it accurately too.

“What if the purpose was to kill her affection from the start?”

“Why would he do such a thing…? Giving up his reputation and career? That’s such a stupid thing to do.”

“I think so too. That’s why I want to try doing what I’m good at, since I have plenty of time.”

My mischievous face was reflected in Tesagh’s red eyes.

“For that, I think I’ll need Tesagh’s help. Can you help me?”

***

“Wow, it’s Cedric! Please look over here!”

“Um, could you give me an autograph?”

Cedric, arriving at the theater for work, smiled and fulfilled all his fans’ requests.

He also warmly and friendly greeted the staff and fellow actors he met in the corridor first.

The picture-perfect smile that appeared on his face never faded even in the empty waiting room. Like a mask.

“Performance starts in 10 minutes! Everyone please get ready!”

When he stepped onto the stage, familiar music began to flow.

The lines, stage effects, co-stars, and audience cheers – everything was such a familiar scene.

Suffocatingly so.

“Cedric really is handsome, isn’t he?”

“Exactly. Even though he’s playing a playboy role, you can’t hate him, right? …Ha, so even though he’s had so many scandals, there’s still no story of anyone grabbing him by the hair?”

“Hahaha! Right, maybe it’s acting that comes from experience! No wonder it looked so natural!”

He left work through the hidden back door, passing the powder room where the audience was chattering.

Today he was alone. Because Ide, his manager, had taken her first vacation.

When he asked where she was going, if something was wrong, she wouldn’t answer.

Hesitating, Cedric asked.

“Why are you taking vacation today of all days? Today might be my retirement performance. It might be the last chance to see this handsome face.”

“…”

“You saw the contact from the Emotion Mage too. She told me to dress up nicely and come to the restaurant this evening. It seems she found someone to introduce me to. If things go well with that person, performing on stage will end today too…”

“I’ll go. Have a good performance.”

The corners of Cedric’s mouth dropped with the sound of the door closing.

He had been smiling. Even while begging for one last moment.

In truth, it was he who wanted the chance to see her face, even from a distance.

‘No. It’s better this way.’

Arriving at the meeting place, Cedric looked in the mirror.

Such a handsome face. As the Emotion Mage said, he had chosen the most expensive and flashy clothes.

But why did he feel so miserable?

[If you mess up this opportunity, there won’t be a next one. This was an extremely difficult arrangement to make. Good luck.]

Recalling the words the Emotion Mage had added along with the location and time, Cedric sat down.

Had she rented out the whole place? As he looked around the empty restaurant, he heard footsteps from afar.

The Emotion Mage was a princess. If someone like her called it a ‘difficult arrangement to make,’ then the other party was probably…

“…”

Am I seeing things wrong?

Cedric blinked.

Someone excessively difficult was walking toward him.

“Duke…?”

Why is the Duke of Moro, who’s looking at me like he wants to kill me, right in front of me…?

Had I ever said I didn’t mind if the other party was a man? No, weren’t you and the Emotion Mage lovers in the first place?

The Duke reached his hand over Cedric’s water glass as confusion filled him.

Drip—

“Drink.”

“…Forgive my impertinence, Duke, but didn’t you just openly put something in my glass?”

“Do you think pointing that out will change the situation? Drink it. Before I pour it down your throat with a funnel.”

Could this have been a trap?

Since it was true that he had been rude to the Emotion Mage, it made sense that the Duke would try to harm him.

‘This must be poison.’

If this was poison, wouldn’t it be quite a clichéd theatrical death?

Thinking that way, it didn’t seem like such a bad ending.

His hesitation was brief. Cedric smiled dimly and drank all of the suspicious pale purple liquid.

“Duke, once again, forgive my impertinence.”

“You learn nothing from mistakes. If you know it’s impertinent, don’t say it.”

The Duke, who was looking at his watch, spoke coldly. But Cedric opened his mouth.

“Still… couldn’t you grant me one request? Since this is the end.”

“A request.”

“Yes. …To my manager, that I’m sorry… could you tell her…?”

“No.”

How cold.

‘How foolish.’

He had tried to escape in such a cowardly way, yet what came to mind at the end was Ide’s face.

As he grew drowsy, the Duke’s low voice reached him.

“I don’t have a hobby of delivering other people’s messages. Do such things yourself.”

Myself?

There wouldn’t be such an opportunity.

Cedric closed his eyes for a long time.

And when he opened them again.

“…Huh?”

Before his eyes were the meadows of his hometown, and

“Cedric! Hurry up, they say the audition is starting soon!”

Young Ide.

***

Both without families, Cedric and Ide met at an orphanage and became friends.

Ide wanted to become an actress. Cedric had just followed along to watch Ide’s audition.

But the one who unexpectedly got accepted was Cedric. The reason was that while he lacked skill, he had a handsome face.

“Sorry, Ide…”

“What are you sorry for? With how this turned out, I want to get a job at the theater company. I want to be your manager!”

“Really?”

“Working as staff will broaden my knowledge, I can earn money, and gain experience. And I can stay with you all the time!”

Ide’s eyes sparkled as she said this while looking at the stage.

Cedric wanted to be captured in those sparkling eyes. Someday he wanted to stand on the same stage and look at each other.

But the combination of a handsome male actor and a female manager of similar age was perfect gossip material to sink their teeth into…

“Sniff, hic. I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Ide.”

“What are you sorry for again? It’s the fault of those reporters who went crazy for a story and reported on us friends as if we were dating.”

“But, sniff, because of that you got cut from that minor role…”

“No. I was just recruited from the staff because they were short on actors, but they found a new actor. I like what I’m doing now. I really mean it.”

The light in Ide’s eyes had already gone out as she said those words.

He had blocked Ide’s path forward.

Tormented by guilt, Cedric recklessly created scandals. As if the problem lay with himself.

It wasn’t real dating. It was closer to a contractual romance rumor staged with agreement from partners who wanted publicity.

Thanks to that, Ide’s existence as his first scandal partner was forgotten, but even after that, Ide never got to stand on stage again.

“I’m sorry, Ide.”

“Stop saying you’re sorry. What were you thinking when you gave that interview confirming the scandal was true? That actress is secretly dating someone else! Why are you taking the blame for her? What’s wrong with you lately?”

“…Still, thanks to that, I’m getting all the playboy, womanizer, and kept man roles these days. That’s not too bad, right?”

“You really…!”

There were no more heart-to-heart conversations with Ide either.

What Cedric faced was both his happiest memory,

“Right. …I’m a terrible person.”

and his worst memory.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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