Chapter 17
Poison Plan (7)
Only the lights illuminating the stage glowed brightly in the dark theater.
On the small stage, the actors performed with passion, but unfortunately, it wasn’t very entertaining.
Edith covered her mouth to quietly yawn, then turned her head when she felt someone’s gaze.
Grayson was staring at her.
He slowly leaned his upper body toward her.
His face drew close as if he were about to kiss her, but at the last moment it passed beside her cheek and stopped by her ear.
“Are you tired?”
Perhaps because it was dark, his soft voice sounded lower and more velvety than usual.
Edith began to shake her head, then realized his face was close enough to touch her own and opened her mouth instead.
“No. Just a little…”
“Bored?”
“Yes.”
A short laugh brushed against the rim of her ear.
Edith swallowed hard and clenched the fabric of her skirt over her thigh.
Aside from the unexpected meeting at the academy, this was their fifth official date.
She had grown accustomed to holding hands with him from time to time.
It was mostly for show, so they usually did it only when others were watching.
But whenever he came close like this, without warning or distance, her heart tightened.
Even knowing he had no particular intention, the closeness alone made it hard to breathe.
His face retreated from her just as slowly as it had approached.
Edith, who had been holding her eyes wide open from the moment he leaned in, couldn’t move right away even after he pulled back.
After staying frozen for a while, she cautiously peeked at him.
He was leaning back in his chair, looking calmly at the stage.
Was this entertaining to him?
She hadn’t seen many plays in her life, but she could tell this one wasn’t well made.
The stage props were crude, the story predictable.
The actors weren’t bad, but no one would call them exceptional.
Why does he come to this theater?
In the capital city of Papod, there was a luxurious grand theater called Crystal Theater.
Owned by Mateo, the eldest son of the Reynolds family, it was where most nobles went to watch plays.
When their first date included a theater visit on the schedule, she naturally assumed they would go to Crystal Theater.
But Grayson brought her here instead—Lion Theater.
At first, she assumed he just didn’t want to be surrounded by too many people.
But now that they were watching their second unremarkable play in this same theater, she began to wonder if he had a special reason for coming here.
“Do you like this theater?”
After the play ended, she asked as they walked out.
He replied:
“Not enough to say I like it.”
“Then is there a reason you come here instead of Crystal Theater?”
“Crystal smells bad.”
Her heart jumped.
Edith lifted her head to study Grayson’s face.
‘Does he know something about Crystal Theater too?’
Her mother’s diary had mentioned Crystal Theater many times.
‘What do the actors at Crystal Theater do after the show?’
‘Where do retired actors go?’
‘All the actors at Crystal Theater are young. Shouldn’t a play require actors of various ages?’
There were several more vague notes about the place.
Nothing was detailed enough to understand why her mother had been so interested in it, but Edith had already decided that once she became a duchess, she would investigate Crystal Theater thoroughly.
Since she kept staring, he turned his head and met her eyes.
“Do you have something to say to me?”
“Does Crystal Theater smell bad?”
Their voices overlapped.
He smiled faintly, then asked:
“You’ve never been there?”
“No.”
“Then next time, we’ll go there.”
She hadn’t said she wanted to go.
But asking too much would look suspicious, so Edith just nodded.
It was a bright day. The breeze was still chilly, but the sunlight was warm.
Edith held the brim of her hat and looked up at the sky.
“The weather is lovely.”
Grayson lifted his head as well.
“It is.”
“On a day like this, a walk would be nice.”
The schedule Grayson had sent her in advance said that after the play, they were supposed to visit an art museum.
Edith, however, had no interest in art.
Right now, her only concern was finding a way to avoid being poisoned.
Thanks to meeting Edward last time, she now knew there was a way to weaken the poison.
But she hadn’t obtained the ingredients yet.
With Wyatt constantly watching her, she couldn’t openly go looking for the materials she needed to survive.
The only time she wasn’t directly monitored by the marquess’s people was when she was with Grayson.
But Grayson always sent her a detailed schedule, and she was expected to follow it.
That meant she had no freedom to do what she needed for her own safety.
So today, she gathered her courage.
“Instead of the museum, how about walking through Pinero Park?”
Pinero Park bordered the Tevan River, with a deep, unmanaged forest at its edge.
Her mother’s diary said that gypsies had settled in that forest.
‘Gypsies have made their home in the deep woods of Pinero Park.’
Grayson’s eyes moved slowly from the sky to Edith.
“We’ll walk on our next date. Today, we follow the schedule.”
She normally never went against his wishes, but this time she couldn’t give in.
His plan was just a plan. Her plan was survival.
“It might rain on our next date.”
“I thought you agreed with my schedule.”
“I did. But plans can be changed sometimes, can’t they?”
“A plan is a plan because it is meant to be kept. Suddenly changing it like this isn’t good.”
“It’s only not good, not deadly.”
Her unexpected pushback made Grayson narrow his eyes.
Until now, Edith had been quiet and well-mannered.
He had almost convinced himself that the rumors of her being deranged were exaggerated.
But perhaps she was finally showing her true nature?
Two days ago, she had answered his letter exactly as always: Yes, I would like that.
If she didn’t like the plan, she could have said so then. Why insist now?
“If we get off the carriage early on the way to the museum, there will be time to walk Royal Road.”
“I want to walk through Pinero Park.”
Even after he offered a compromise, she refused. Feeling slightly irritated, Grayson pushed his hair back.
“Is there a reason you insist on going to Pinero Park?”
“Do I need a reason?”
“For me, yes. I think changing an agreed plan should require a reason.”
Edith pressed her lips together.
Watching her furrow her brows as if trying to think of an answer eased some of his irritation.
The carriage waiting to take them to the next location was still parked in front of the theater, but Grayson found himself in a much better mood than a moment ago as he waited for her reply.
“A squirrel family.”
Truly, of all things she could have said, Grayson let out a short laugh in disbelief.
“What?”
“They say that during this season, a squirrel family often appears in the forest of Pinero Park.”
Her amber eyes sparkled as she spoke.
“They say the way several of them scurry around together is very cute. On a nice day like this, I really want to see them. The squirrel family.”
“The squirrel family…”
Grayson murmured a phrase he never imagined would come out of his mouth, lost in thought.
A squirrel family.
He wasn’t sure if that was worth changing the plan for, but watching Edith brighten as she talked about them didn’t feel bad.
“All right. The squirrel family. Let’s go see them.”
The moment he answered, Edith’s face lit up brilliantly.
She clasped her hands before her chest and smiled more brightly than she ever had.
“Thank you, Your Gace. Truly, your generosity is as vast as the sea.”
So Grayson smiled softly back at her and replied:
“Your sarcasm is impressive.”
“As the future duchess, isn’t it fortunate that I excel at something?”
“Indeed. Sarcasm is one of the noble virtues, after all.”
Grayson opened the carriage door and offered his hand to help her in.
Edith naturally placed her hand in his and stepped up, her expression glowing as she looked out the window.
Seeing her so lively, he realized her complexion had been quite dim these past days.
When had it started?
Yes—ever since he ran into her at the academy.
