novelraw Chapter 158: Beggars Sibling - Theater
Chapter 158: Beggars Sibling - Theater
158. Beggars Sibling - Theater
“What are you doing, Oppa?”
Lena called out to Leo. Although she didn't say anything, she had been aimlessly wandering around this alley for quite a while.
He said he had somewhere to go, so why is he acting like this?
Her brother didn't respond.
He stood in front of a warehouse, staring blankly, and then repeatedly looked around the alley before finally saying, “Come here.” He grabbed my hand and walked quickly.
I quietly followed my brother.
As we left the leather-scented streets, a wide boulevard unfolded before us. To the far left stood the majestic palace, built with layers of high stone walls, while to the right, a massive gate attached to a well-constructed wall allowed people to come and go.
Lena, taking in these sights, hurried to match her brother's strides.
His steps were wide.Stride. Stride. I had to take an extra half-step each time, but it wasn't hard to keep up. Though his strides were long, his pace was slow.
Lena alternated her gaze between her brother’s worn leather shoes and her own ragged, ill-fitting shoes, scurrying along to keep up.
Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot.
Matching her steps with his.
- Thud.
As I concentrated on my steps, my brother reached out his hand to my chest, pushing me back. I looked up to see a carriage whizzing by.
That scared me.
I was startled.
“Lena, you have to look where you’re going,” my brother said, his expression sour, as if he had been just as frightened. After that, he walked even slower, making it easier for me to follow.
We crossed the boulevard. Without hesitation, my brother chose one of the many alleyways on the other side. I counted; it was either the fifth or sixth one.
It was an alley adorned with red lanterns.
The lanterns weren’t lit. Perhaps because it was daytime, but judging by the thick layer of dust, it seemed more than just that.
Flinch.
My brother's steps faltered. I looked up and saw two rough-looking men approaching from the other end of the alley.
Scary.
I hid behind my brother’s back, following his old advice to stay out of sight and quiet.
My brother must be scared too...
I worried, but his body wasn’t tense. After the men passed, my brother gazed at them with longing eyes.
Do you know them?
The thought ended there as my brother resumed walking, and we reached the front of a theater decorated with colorful triangular flags, ending our journey.
In front of the theater stood a large but somehow comforting-looking man and another man with bright, gray eyes.
“Mr. Ober, Theater 1 has started. When will the others arrive?”
“Well, we have a large family... It seems Soirin forgot to notify everyone. I just sent some kids, so they should be here soon.”
Without hesitation, my brother approached the large man. His steps were lively, as if meeting an old friend.
*
‘Found it.’
Cassia had disappeared. Though surprised, Leo had a hunch why she vanished and thoroughly searched the area around the leather district.
[ Achievement: ‘Cassia’s Life’ Quest Complete - Cassia is freed from her shackles. ]
In the previous cycle, Cassia had been freed from her shackles. She, knowing Leo was a prince and wanting to leave impulsively, cried in his arms before leaving with a relieved expression.
- “You can call me noona now, Prince. I feel at ease. Somehow... I feel free.”
Cassia, who burst into laughter facing the wide fields.
She left behind a determination to live happily more than anyone else in the world, a pair of meticulously crafted shoes from Erakt Leather, and a crooked letter.
But that didn't mean she vanished from the world. She must be living happily somewhere, and she absolutely had to be.
With that conviction, Leo noticed Ober was absent.
Though it was a bit early for work, Leo, using {Tracking}, found that Ober was in an entirely unexpected location, not heading towards the Rauno family mansion. As he sought out Ober, his vague suspicion turned into certainty. Cassia’s workplace was right in this sixth alleyway.
No, it used to be.
Once, Leo had wandered the alley in anger, thinking of the brothel where his sister worked, disgusted and enraged. The sticky air of the place was gone.
Just like Cassia.
Instead, where the brothel used to be, there was a new theater with a sign that read ‘Oranje Theater’.
“Hello.”
“Ah, hello.”
Leo greeted Ober without hesitation. Though a stranger, Ober casually returned the greeting to the little beggar.
Once a beggar himself, Ober was well-known among Orville's beggars.
He always carried snacks to share with beggars and introduced able-bodied young men to ‘Darun’, a small business owner in the leather district. He was kind-hearted, despite his appearance and job.
Of course, he wasn’t kind to just anyone... He could be ruthless and violent when necessary.
“Excuse me, I have something to ask.”
“Geez. More than that, you kids need a bath. Ugh, you smell terrible. How long has it been since you washed?”
Ober grabbed Leo’s dirty hair with one hand and turned him around, treating him like a child.
“What’s the beggar chief doing? I’ve told him at least once a month to take the kids to the lake for a bath...” Muttering, he seemed unaffected by Leo’s {Nobility} or {Royal Blood}.
A typical thug, Ober had not changed his attitude even after hearing Leo was adopted by Marquis Tatian.
“You too, come here. Did you bury your face in the ground? Why are you so dirty? Mr. Bretin, I’m going to use the shower room.”
Ober asked the theater owner’s permission and led the filthy little beggars into the theater.
Wow-
Lena looked around the theater's interior in awe for the first time.
The first thing that greeted her was a dark, red corridor.
To heighten the audience's anticipation, the hallway leading to the hall was quite long. The walls were filled with posters advertising various plays, and red curtains hung here and there, adding a sense of mystery. Sometimes, masks or cloaks were hung, showing the decorator's attention to detail.
Wow—
We arrived at the hall where a play was in full swing. The innocent visitor, Lena, looked around with her mouth agape in wonder.
Some parts were bright, while others were very dark. There were so many spectators that whispers turned into murmurs, but those seated in the dark auditorium were hard to see.
In contrast, the stage extending to the center of the hall was very bright and wide. The second floor was open, with lanterns hanging down from the high ceiling, illuminating the actors below.
“My Queen! Wise ruler and sister of a great hero! I have killed a man. Please punish me.”
The actor playing the role of ‘Banun Rauno’ cried out. The first noble to gain the authority to punish and govern commoners confessed bitterly. In response, the woman on the throne spoke.
“Why did you commit a crime? I know you’re not the kind of person who would do such a thing. Tell me. I will determine if your actions were indeed criminal.”
“He was lazy. He neglected his own duties while begging for the goodwill of others. He demanded that the grain harvested through others’ hard work be shared equally.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
Banun Rauno replied firmly, showing no shame despite his crime.
“Yes. He harmed the kingdom. By shirking his responsibilities, he mocked the efforts and achievements of others. So I killed him. I taught him that death is the only fairness a human can achieve.”
“Lena, be careful—”
Oops!
Lena, who had been watching the stage while walking, bumped into a boy. Thud! She lost her balance and fell, while the boy, flustered, reached out a hand.
“Are you okay? I’m sorry.”
“Ow... I’m okay.”
But she wasn’t okay. Blood trickled down from Lena’s pretty lips, causing the boy to panic.
“You rascal! What are you doing wandering around? Sit quietly.”
“Ah! Mr. Ober.”
Ober picked up the boy who had caused the accident. In the dim light from the stage, the boy’s features were revealed.
He had curly brown hair, a round nose, and a broad forehead.
“Shh!”
The audience glared at them. All were from the Rauno family, but as they awaited Lady Leicia’s judgment on Banun Rauno, they raised their index fingers to their lips.
“...Let’s go. You, go back.”
Ober set the boy down and patted him on the back, but the boy didn’t leave. Perhaps feeling guilty towards Lena, he followed them to the theater shower room.
They passed through the dark auditorium and alongside the stage.
Behind the stage was the dressing room. Interestingly, the dressing room wasn’t an open space but a series of connected rooms.
Some areas were more open, but they were clearly spaces where several rooms had been combined. The marks on the floor indicated this.
The shower room was just as peculiar. Typically, a shower room would have a well and buckets with a makeshift partitioned space for washing, but here, each washing area had a wooden bathtub.
Each bathtub had a chair next to it and a separate drainage system... It seemed excessive for a theater shower room.
Leo quickly ushered his sister inside before she could undress. He fetched water for her and stood guard at the door.
There was no real need to guard it... Ober and the boy, watching Leo’s strange behavior, soon understood why.
“Oppa, I’m done.”
When Lena emerged, the boy gasped. Her wet blonde hair shone under the dim lighting. Though her chin was thin and sharp, it still maintained a round dignity, and her glittering golden eyes pierced the boy’s heart.
Her neat eyebrows and strawberry-like full lips looked pitiful.
The boy was stunned by the transformation of the scruffy girl who had just gone in with a nosebleed.
While the two were shocked and Lena calmly dried her hair, Leo also went in to wash.
He wasn’t worried about his sister’s safety. They were trustworthy people. When chased by Marquis Benar Tatian, these two had protected Lena all the way to the Kingdom of Aisel.
“Uh, hi. I’m Santian Rauno. Is your nose okay?”
“Yes, it’s fine. It’s stopped.”
With a mix of curiosity and hesitation, the boy tried to talk to the pretty girl. “I told you my name, so you should tell me yours.” When Lena promptly answered, “I’m Lena,” he didn’t know how to continue the conversation.
“Where do you live? I live...”
As the boy rambled on, asking unasked and uninteresting questions, Leo, having finished washing, came out. Ober, who had been standing with his hands behind his back, spoke.
“...You must have had a hard time because of your sister. Come here.”
He led the siblings back to the dressing room. Rummaging through the scattered props and costumes, he handed them clothes suitable for a boy and girl (though a bit exaggerated since they were for the theater).
“Thank you. We’ll wear them well... Lena!”
Excited with her new clothes, Lena quickly stripped off her dirty dress. Santian Rauno turned his head, his ears turning bright red.
Leo, not knowing why, bonked his sister on the head and hurriedly dressed her. Lena, now dressed in a clean white dress (likely a costume for a young priest), smiled like an angel.
Leo also changed into a loose-sleeved shirt and wide pants... Suddenly, thunderous applause erupted. The performance had ended, and the actors were coming off the stage.
Leo’s eyes followed the descending curtain to meet the gaze of a woman coming down the stage steps.
Smiling.
It was the actress who had played Queen Leicia. She looked directly at Leo and smiled.
“You found me?”
Her wavy black hair, dark eyes, pale stage makeup, narrow yet upright shoulders, small frame, and the spotlight beaming down...
Leo’s heart pounded uncontrollably, and Minseo’s spirit sparkled with recognition.
- Chaeha?
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