The Crown Prince Who Raises Alt Characters

#Chapter 370 Ghost Sirius (10) - Tragic Love 'I shouldn't have come.' That was the thought that crossed Stella's mind the moment she stepped into the troupe director's office. Two men in suits pressed to knife-sharp creases, wristwatches imported from Cardian on their wrists, their entire bodies practically advertising, "I am a businessman," at a glance. And beside them stood Troupe Director Pantalone, his face an exquisite blend of foul mood, guilt, and bitterness. It was more than enough of a clue to predict that whatever unfolded here would be far from pleasant. "Good day, Miss Stella. We are─" "Director. What did you call me here for? I'm busy, I'm in the middle of rehearsal." As she gently ignored the greeting the stranger had been about to give and spoke directly to Pantalone instead, the faces of the suited men twisted faintly. Pantalone spoke, making no effort to hide that he himself was reluctant. "These are people who came recommended by the Imperial Arts Association. They say they have a very good proposal for you." Not a recommendation from someone belonging to the Association, but a recommendation from the Association itself. Stella did not miss that subtle difference in nuance. If some individual within the Association had made the introduction personally, it might have nothing to do with the Association's own intentions. But if they had come with the Association's name as their backing, it meant that either the entire Association was in league with this matter, or at the very least, those who were in league with it had seized control within the Association. And the Imperial Arts Association was the owner of the Astraea Theater. Which meant that if they fell out of favor with them, the entire troupe could be thrown out and barred from ever performing at the theater again. That was the reason Pantalone, despite scowling deeply, had been unable to drive them off and had arranged for them to meet Stella instead. Once she'd finished grasping the situation, Stella frowned and turned her gaze toward them, and the two men, who had been scowling, soon broke into smiles. It was a smile that came from a certainty that they held the upper hand. "I am Brooks Boriel." "And I am Yortiz Boriel." There was no explanation of what kind of enterprise they represented, or what they did. As though merely stating the family name were more than enough. And that was, in fact, true. It was one of those famous families whose name even Stella had heard more than a few times. The Boriel Count Family. One of the Empire's prestigious mage houses. Truthfully, there were so many families thriving through magic in the Empire that the title of "prestigious mage house" alone did little to set one apart, but the Boriel family was a case that had grown famous, among such houses, specifically for its success in business. Their main fields were clothing, jewelry, and accessories, but beyond that, they were a family — and an enterprise — that greedily extended its reach into any field that made money. Since both attire and accessories were essential items in high society, their influence there was considerable, and the family head, Chelleno Boriel, was a 6th Rank mage, with no small number of 4th- and 5th-rank mages among the other members besides. If asked whether they were a giant without rival in the Empire, the answer was, of course, no. For instance, someone like the shadowy power behind high society currently on the rise, the Devil Countess Kuella Ospin, who was even said to exchange pleasantries with the Empress herself, was someone even the Boriel Count Family would, under most circumstances, want to avoid clashing with. In terms of military strength or wealth, the Boriels had the advantage, but in political influence and cunning, the Countess held the upper hand (though she herself would have felt wronged to hear the latter said of her). But strength is always relative. Someone tied to the top with connections even to the imperial family might be another matter, but for a mere actress from a minor noble family, in an industry only just beginning to build its reputation and grow, the Boriel family was an absurdly overwhelming opponent to face. "Isn't it far too great a waste for an actress of your talent, Miss Stella, to keep performing in nothing but this cramped little theater time and again? And so, our family has decided to prepare a far greater stage for you." Beside them, the face of Troupe Director Pantalone, who ran his troupe out of that very "cramped little theater," flushed red and then pale with anger, but the two from the Boriel family paid it no mind. With a manner so confident it bordered on self-assured, they held out a contract, and once one stripped away the needlessly complicated and elaborate phrasing meant to confuse the eye and grasped the essence of it, there were two key points. - They would build, for Stella and Stella alone, a theater far more magnificent and grand than the current one. - However, since the construction would take a long time, in the meantime, for the sake of the guests who were waiting, they should hold a "touring performance." A laugh slipped from Stella's lips. It certainly wasn't out of joy at such a wonderful offer. "So, when exactly is this grand theater of yours supposed to be finished?" "We expect it will take roughly a year." It was an instant answer, without a moment's hesitation. So Stella, too, shot back a question at once. "Can you announce that timeframe to the public, exactly as it is?" "……." No answer came back. So Stella continued. "The completion date will probably stretch like a rubber band, however you please. And in the meantime, you'll use this 'touring performance' as an excuse to put on my plays in front of various influential figures and wealthy patrons." "Isn't that simply what theater has always been, at its core?" Kings, nobles, and the like summon performers for their own sole enjoyment, or to show off before guests, and have them perform at their convenience. There had certainly been an age when things like theater and music were consumed in exactly that way. No — in the Empire, even just a few decades ago, that kind of consumption had been the mainstream, and there had been no small number of years when even that much couldn't be done, for fear of the imperial family's disapproval. It wasn't for nothing that even the Astraea Theater, said to be the most successful in the capital, was still called a "cramped little theater." To begin with, theater culture itself had only recently come to flourish at all. At the longest, it dated back only to after the current Emperor's ascension, and while the Emperor didn't persecute theater culture, he didn't particularly favor it either. "Art, by nature, is meant to be consumed by those who have. Presenting yourself before noble patrons is a far more valuable and rewarding thing than selling a few hundred tickets to commoners with no money and no title." "What a refined way of saying that side of things simply makes more money." The Empire was a nation with strong meritocratic tendencies. The capable are employed; the incompetent are held in contempt. Of course, there were those who cleverly slipped past that standard through politics or connections, but the fundamental criterion itself remained as stated. And in a world where superhumans who wielded mana existed, competence and strength overlapped in a great many respects. Being competent didn't mean being strong, but being strong meant being treated as competent. The reason the Boriel Count Family had been able to succeed in business the way it had, right now? Because they were a prestigious mage house. Because they were a force with more than enough military strength both to fight off outside pressure and, conversely, to suppress those around them. If that was the case, then just how deep was this nation's so-called "upper class's" obsession with strength? If Stella's acting could give them something that could be called inspiration, or even enlightenment, and if that could in turn raise their mastery, their rank — how many would there be who wished to lock her in a cage and have her perform for their eyes alone? And how much money could they possibly pay for that privilege? "Rest assured. We have no intention, now or in the future, of exploiting you viciously. You will gain wealth beyond any comparison to what you have now, and you will gain the very highest honor as well. The upper-class people who become your patrons will see to that." The Boriel family had not the slightest intention of paying Stella a pittance while working her viciously. It was precisely by making it widely known that Stella was well-treated and earned a great deal that the Boriel family could become not some vicious profiteer chasing simple gain, but a conscientious enterprise striving for the revival of culture. Only then could they preempt other parties from stepping in, "rescuing" Stella, cutting down the Boriel family, and seizing that position for themselves. "Please sign, Miss Stella." Stella gazed blankly at the signature line. If she wrote her name, she would gain a great many things. More money than she had now. More honor than she had now. A higher standing than she had now. The price was one thing. That her art would belong only to those who had been chosen. From Stella's own standpoint, it wasn't that big a difference. She never performed a play checking, one by one, who was sitting in the audience anyway. Having weighed all of it, Stella took hold of the contract. "─If you want to make me say, 'It was too much money to refuse,' then try putting up something like the imperial family as collateral." And then, smiling, she tore the contract to pieces. Riiip! *** "I thought it was a good offer, but it seems you need a bit more time to think it over, after all." Having been rejected outright, the people from the Boriel family did not, surprisingly, flush red or spit out curses. They merely shrugged once and said they would come back another time. In a way, it was a gentlemanly attitude. The attitude alone, that is. "Stella? It's been a while, hasn't it? Hm? Come to ask how much I need again, you say? Honestly, you make it sound like your mother only comes around when she needs money! That's not it at all — your little brother's been so discouraged lately, ever since he failed the civil service exam. But then some wonderful people said they could help him… S-Stella? Open the door! What do you think you're doing, leaving your own mother standing outside the door like this?!" Approaching her family and dangling employment as bait to sway her. "Hey, Stella. What are you hesitating for? They said if you alone sign, they'll triple the whole troupe's pay! We'd be doing exactly the same thing as before, just moving to a different place here and there, and getting paid more for it — why wouldn't you do this?" "Um, Senior Stella. Couldn't you just accept the contract? My family has a lot of debt, so I really need to earn a lot. There are so many others struggling too, not just me — if you could just think of it as helping us out, just this once…." "You selfish bitch!! The people you're up against are in league with this theater's very owner! If they set their minds to it, turning every last one of us into the unemployed would be nothing to them! Are you really going to ruin all your colleagues' lives just because of your own stubbornness?!" Applying indirect pressure through her coworkers. "Actress Stella? We'd like a quick interview, please! There's been a report that you verbally and physically abused the props staff at your workplace — could you say a word about this?" "Is it true that you threatened a junior actress, saying that if she got on your nerves, she'd never survive in the theater world again?" "There are rumors that you've always denied the imperial system and looked favorably on republicanism — could it be that you're a traitor?!" Wearing her down with reckless, throw-it-and-see accusations that could just as easily be nothing at all. The absurd thing was that, among all of this, the Boriel family never once stepped forward directly for anything negative or potentially troublesome. They always showed themselves only with smiling faces, and only in matters that helped Stella — that is, matters no one around could find fault with. As for everything else tormenting Stella, there was nothing but suspicion — not a shred of solid proof anywhere. And finally. Even Pantalone, the troupe director, spoke with a gloomy face. "…Phew. I think this month will probably be my last before I'm dismissed. Something about embezzling the budget — a crime I don't even remember committing — and somehow, before I knew it, I'd turned into some vicious director who exploited you. The next director will probably be someone under their thumb. You'd best start bracing yourself." Even Stella, who was never all that obedient toward the director on ordinary days, couldn't bring herself to fire off a sharp retort this time. As though drawn by something, she headed for the theater that night.