Chapter 04
“…The troupe leader?”
When I said I wanted to meet the troupe leader, the guard looked at me suspiciously.
“Is he really that hard to meet?”
I pulled out a silver coin and held it out to the guard.
“Can’t you at least pass on the message?”
The guard looked at the coin, then at me, and after a moment’s hesitation, ran backstage.
Soon, he came back and led me to the troupe leader.
As we walked behind the stage, I saw actors changing out of their costumes and removing their makeup.
“Has anyone seen my hair tie?”
“Check the dressing room!”
“Zion! I told you not to leave your bag here!”
“I just set it down for a second!”
It was noisy, but everyone seemed to get along.
It really felt like a big family.
I could even feel the post-performance joy and pride in the air, and it made me feel happy too.
“This way, please. It’s a bit loud in here, though.”
The guard led me to a small sofa in a corner.
There were no separate walls or partitions—just a sofa and a low table set in one side of the dressing room.
“Where’s the leader?”
“He’s still removing his makeup.”
“He’s an actor too?”
“Yes. Our troupe is pretty small, you see…”
The guard looked a little sheepish.
“Then are you an actor as well?”
“Oh, no. Not yet…”
He quickly shook his head, startled.
It seemed like he was still a trainee actor.
Now that I looked closer, he had neat features, was tall, and looked quite presentable overall.
“You wanted to see me?”
Just then, a man walked over, drying his sweaty blond hair with a towel.
“You’re the leader?”
Not only was the leader an actor—he was also the Crown Prince in the play!
He had bright blond hair and a kind, handsome face.
His light blue eyes were soft and slightly damp, and his eyelashes were so long they gave him a slightly melancholic look—which somehow made him even more attractive.
With someone like this, how was this theater not already packed full every night?
“Yes, I’m the troupe leader—Alex Shirley. May I ask what you wanted to speak about?”
“Let me introduce myself first. I’m Melias Warren.”
Even the way he looked at me cautiously seemed innocent.
With a face like his, this troupe had nothing to worry about—
If he debuted as an idol with a pure, refreshing concept, he’d have a legion of protective fans in no time.
Alex blinked his long lashes, then looked at me with a curious and cautious expression.
“May I ask why a noble lady wanted to see me?”
He asked again, clearly still worried about the reason.
“I have a proposal for you. First, let me say—I really enjoyed the play. I was especially impressed by how well you portrayed the battle scenes without using any clunky dragon props. You did it all with direction alone.”
As soon as I gave my feedback, his face lit up.
This wasn’t just a polite compliment to break the ice—I meant it.
And I wanted to make sure they knew exactly what I liked.
Every creator wants to hear honest feedback, after all.
“You noticed! Actually, we couldn’t afford any decent props, so we had to be creative. But just like you said, the audience has been reacting really well!”
“The transitions were smooth too, and I was amazed how the first scene grabbed the audience even before the main character appeared. Did you write the script yourself?”
Alex smiled modestly and shook his head.
“Not entirely. I helped a little, but the main writer was someone else. He’s also an actor—and the assistant leader. We discussed the direction together, though.”
Because the troupe was small, it seemed like each actor wore multiple hats.
Leader-slash-director, assistant leader-slash-writer, actor-slash-costume designer, and so on.
Now I understood why they weren’t well known yet—it wasn’t due to lack of talent, just lack of resources.
Which was actually good for me.
“The assistant leader, huh? He must be part of the decision-making, then. Could you call him over?”
“Of course. Just a moment.”
Alex stood and walked over to a dark-haired man joking with a female actor in the corner.
The man looked surprised to see Alex approaching.
When he glanced my way and our eyes met, he quickly looked away, but eventually stood up and followed Alex over.
“I’m the assistant leader, Zion Evans.”
He had dark hair like the Northern Duke he’d played on stage, though with a slight bluish tint.
His sharp eyes gave him a similar vibe, too.
Normally, the blond guy would seem more radiant, but Alex seemed quiet and reserved, while Zion looked bold and energetic.
Both were incredibly handsome.
It was like watching a perfect visual combo: dark-haired sunshine guy and blond, mysterious beauty.
Just looking at them made me feel inspired.
“You wrote the script?”
“Uh, yes, I did.”
“Did Alex tell you how much I was moved by it?”
“No, he just said someone wanted to talk to me…”
I complimented him the same way I had with Alex.
“The dialogue was so touching. And starting the play with the lives of the people destroyed by the dragon, rather than the hero, was such a bold choice. I really wanted to tell you that.”
Zion gave me a puzzled look.
“Well… that’s what the story called for. That’s why I wrote it that way.”
He spoke as if it was just obvious and no big deal.
Definitely a different personality from Alex.
Seeing the two of them, I felt like I could come up with even more creative ideas.
They already had a great story on stage—there was so much potential.
But first, I had to go with what I’d prepared.
“Please take a look at this.”
I placed a postcard-sized print in front of them.
“What’s this…?”
“A portrait of the Northern Duke from the play.”
In truth, it was a fantasy illustration based on the description of Leon Brabant from the original novel.
It resembled Zion, with his dark hair and sharp eyes, but the atmosphere was quite different—
More intense, more intimidating, and strikingly handsome.
I had pushed the artist hard to get it just right.
“It’s beautifully done. But… what do you want to do with it?”
Alex trailed off. He didn’t seem to get it yet.
“Did you see the faces of the audience as they left the theater?”
“Well, yes! Everyone said it was touching, and that they wanted to come back to see it again…”
“But didn’t anyone say they wanted to take the Duke’s portrait with them?”
It probably hadn’t even crossed their minds.
From what I could tell, these two were completely immersed in the quality of the play itself.
“People love taking home souvenirs—props, portraits, anything from the stage.”
As Alex thought about it, Zion spoke up first.
“I’m not sure about that.”
“About what?”
“We don’t put on plays just to sell things. Right, Alex?”
“Do you have enough income?”
At that, Zion went quiet. Of course not.
“Well, that’s true… but Leon’s not wrong. We want to give people honest joy through our work.”
Alex, being the troupe leader, seemed more open to the idea than Zion—
But he still wasn’t quite convinced. I just needed to persuade them a little more.
“Selling souvenirs is also a way to bring joy.
Someone told me they wanted to bottle up the Duke’s courage and take it home.
If they had the money and time, they’d come see it again and again.
But most people want to carry the emotion with them somehow.”
“That… makes sense.”
Zion nodded slowly.
“If you give me permission, I’ll handle the selling myself.
You’ll get a share of the profits, and it’ll help the troupe financially.
It’s a good deal—you won’t lose anything.”
“But to sell a portrait of the Northern Duke, for money…”
“Oh, come now. It’s not the Duke’s portrait—it’s a portrait of Zion Evans, right here.”
Alex held the picture next to Zion’s face and squinted.
After comparing them carefully, he muttered,
“He’s not this handsome.”
“What did you just say?! I’m way better looking than you! That’s why I play the Duke and not you.
I’m more popular with the ladies too! Honestly, what kind of leader can’t even praise his lead actor…”
Zion snapped.
Seeing how many words poured out after just one comment from Alex, I got a good sense of their dynamic.
Alex sighed and covered Leon’s mouth with his hand.
“Quiet. We’re in front of a lady.”
Then he put the portrait back on the table and looked at me.
“Are you sure this won’t cause any trouble? We’re a brand new troupe…”
“Not at all! This was my first time watching, and already it means a lot to me.”
Of course, I couldn’t guarantee there would be no problems.
But I already had ideas on how to protect the troupe.
After all, in my past life, I worked in the entertainment industry too.
I’m not the kind of person who would ruin someone else’s dream just to get ahead.
“…It would definitely help our finances. So, when do you plan to start selling?”
Just as I thought—they were reasonable.
“Starting tomorrow!”
