044. The Witch’s Man (2)
After selecting their formal attire at the boutique, the two headed to the jewelry store together.
The jewelry stores were clustered at the end of the boutique street, so it didn’t take them long to get there.
The jewel Lucia chose was a black-red spirit stone.
It was said to be a rare trace left by a spirit that had vanished in ancient history.
Thanks to that, the price was exorbitant, but Owen bought it without hesitation.
Lucia selected designs for a necklace and earrings with the black-red spirit stone, and also entrusted the crafting of Owen’s cufflinks and tie pin to the jeweler.
“Spirit stone…?”
As Owen returned to the carriage after completing the order at the jewelry store, he was lost in thought.
Things like spirits or spirit stones were not something he had encountered in ‘The Empire’s Flower.’
It seemed like a setting unique to an unknown author, but it couldn’t help but feel unsettling.
“Owen.”
Lost in thought, Owen was brought back by Lucia calling his name softly.
Her presence quickly filled his dark eyes lost in contemplation.
“Have you heard of the opera ‘The Witch’s Man’?”
Owen shook his head.
Other than the title ‘The Witch’s Man’ written on the ticket Logan had given him, he knew nothing about it.
At best, Logan’s information today was all he had.
That it was quite popular among young audiences.
‘Ah.’
Recalling, it suddenly dawned on him.
Perhaps Lucia had seen this opera.
“Lucia, have you seen this opera before?”
At his urgent question, Lucia hesitated for a moment.
But quickly composing herself, she smiled.
“Yes, I saw it last time. I found it entertaining, so I thought it would be nice to watch it again.”
“Well, that’s fortunate…”
It would have been better if it was an opera he hadn’t seen before.
But at this point, there was no turning back.
Moreover, if she liked it, he felt a desire to see it too.
“I hope it pleases you, Owen. I liked everything about it. The female lead, the male lead. And even the plot and their relationship.”
As various reasons emerged, Owen gazed at her quietly before nodding.
“It probably will.”
She said it was an opera she liked.
The likelihood of him disliking something she liked was rare.
He knew her entirely.
“We’ve arrived.”
The carriage came to a stop.
The opera house was bustling with people, unlike Stella Boutique.
Owen got off the carriage with Lucia and headed towards the entrance of the VIP seats.
While the entrance to the regular seats had quite a long line, the entrance to the VIP seats was peaceful.
After a short wait, their turn came, and upon checking their tickets, they were guided to their seats.
The location of their seats resembled those in the VIP section of an auction house.
If the regular seats were on the first floor in front of the stage, the VIP seats were on the second floor.
Instead of windows, there were openings all around the stage without any barriers.
With numerous magic stones enchanted to amplify sound on the stage, it seemed like the singing voices would be heard clearly.
“Seats that directly overlook the stage.”
“It seems so.”
Lucia and Owen’s seats were right in the middle of the second floor.
Thanks to this, they occupied a spot directly above the front seats on the first floor, providing a perfect view of the stage.
“Aren’t the front seats usually more expensive?”
While they enjoyed the privacy, the thought suddenly crossed their minds that the front seats on the first floor would offer a better view of the stage.
Considering the prices of musicals, plays, and concert tickets, it seemed to make sense.
However, since this was a different world, they decided to let it go.
It seemed like this world emphasized uniqueness and privacy even more.
“Ladies and gentlemen who have joined us at our theater, welcome everyone. The opera ＜The Witch’s Man＞ will begin shortly, so please remain quiet. Enjoy the show. Thank you.”
After a short wait, the announcement was heard.
It seemed like the entry of the regular seats on the first floor had concluded as well.
＜The Witch’s Man＞ was said to be quite popular as the VIP seats were completely full.
Most likely, the regular seats on the first floor were also packed, as expected.
Tick.
With a brief sound, all the lights inside the venue went off.
In an instant, darkness enveloped the surroundings, plunging everything into pitch black.
Amidst this, the instrumental performance began, and the sound of singing started to fill the space.
Then, poof, the lights came on.
The singer in the role of the male protagonist stood at the center of the stage, illuminated by the spotlight.
In front of him was a mirror, and beside him were two individuals who seemed to play the role of attendants.
“Master, master. Be careful when you go into the woods.”
One of them began singing.
“In the woods lives a witch. A witch who enchants people. So if you happen to meet a witch, run away immediately. Don’t look the witch in the eye.”
“Why is that?”
“Because then you’ll fall in love with the witch. You’ll be enchanted by the witch’s sorcery and won’t be able to escape.”
The attendants warned the male protagonist.
However, he dismissed their warnings lightly with a smile.
“What an interesting story. I’ll be back.”
The male protagonist took a step forward.
Once again, all the lights went out, and the scene changed.
The space transformed into a forest-like setting.
The male protagonist hunted wild beasts.
Lost along the way, he ventured deep into the forest, where the female protagonist appeared, singing.
“This forest is my fence. My sanctuary where no one can be by my side. My lonely but peaceful shelter.”
As if struck at first sight, the male protagonist fell under the spell of the witch’s song.
“This place is filled with wild animals. It’s dangerous.”
After listening to the song for a while, he spoke to her.
But the witch smiled and replied.
“Haven’t you heard the rumors?”
“What rumors are you talking about?”
“The rumors about the witch. There must be talk that a witch lives in the woods. Unless you’re a fool, everyone knows that rumor.”
“….”
“I am that ‘witch.’ The witch who enchants, captures, and harms people. Would I fear wild animals?”
The witch instilled fear in the male protagonist.
However, instead of being afraid, he looked at her with a puzzled expression and replied.
“If you’re a witch, do you have multiple lives?”
“You…”
“Come on out. Up until now, you’ve been lucky to survive. If you stay longer, you might be in big trouble.”
The male protagonist led the witch out of the forest.
Once again, the background changed.
A village was set up on the stage.
The male protagonist led the witch through the village.
He showed her various things, taught her, and ultimately helped her settle.
However, tragedy soon befell them.
The villagers, realizing the witch’s true identity, tried to drive her away.
They set fire to her house and threw stones at her.
But the witch remained composed.
“You’re not afraid. Everyone seems to lack fear too much.”
Instead, she laughed and gave people chills.
“Burning my house down knowing I’m a witch. What if I wanted to kill you all, then what?”
Listening to the witch’s singing, Owen realized something.
There must be a reason Lucia liked this opera.
The female protagonist, the witch, must have resonated with her.
Confident in any gaze and voice.
Her manner of mocking and threatening the tormentor was similar to Lucia.
“I don’t need your help. Why would I bother caring about useless and insignificant things like you? Leave now.”
The male protagonist’s refusal, as if implying his help was unnecessary, reminded him of her.
Rejecting warmth and speaking coldly, having never experienced affection, just made him think of her.
“I’m not trying to help. I just want to be by your side.”
The male protagonist was honest and sincere.
He easily understood his own feelings and conveyed them.
“I love you.”
Owen envied that.
How could he be so sure of love without experiencing it?
How could he realize love without knowing it?
“I don’t need you to love me.”
As he pondered this, the male protagonist sang the next verse.
Owen’s eyes narrowed at the lyrics.
“I don’t expect that. Just because I love you doesn’t mean you have to love me back.”
“What…”
“I hope you’re happy. I wish for you to smile where there are no people who hurt you.”
“…”
Owen looked down at the stage in silence.
His trembling eyes were soon deeply locked.
“Maybe what people say is true. The moment I saw you, I fell in love with you. But I know. You are different from the ‘witch’ people talk about.”
A strange heaviness crept up.
Owen found himself empathizing with the male protagonist’s emotions.
Perhaps, just as he overlapped the witch with Lucia, he unknowingly overlapped the male protagonist with himself.
In the world of “The Witch’s Man,” just like no one loved the witch, in his world, hardly anyone loved Lucia from “Empire’s Flower.”
To some, it might seem laughable.
Why give such strong emotions to a mere villain in a novel?
Their words were not wrong.
She was just a character, a villain in a novel, Lucia.
That made it even more painful.
To not receive the love of the readers.
She was just a character.
But in “Empire’s Flower,” she had been shunned by everyone since Bella’s appearance.
“Even if you really bewitched someone, even if you killed someone, I…”
They said she was a villain who indulged in luxury, beyond greed, who even lightly regarded human life.
The villain of the century, they said.
People in her world, people in his world.
“Even if everyone calls you a real witch, I can’t help but love you.”
But what could he do?
She was already his everything.
Lucia was already…
“Owen?”
Lucia gently grasped Owen’s arm.
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Was he bothered by his reaction?
Owen closed his eyes quietly, his eyes full of emotions showing signs of unease.
Trying to calm his emotions slowly, he turned to Lucia with a gaze that couldn’t properly focus.
In Lucia’s crimson eyes, a trace of concern was evident.
“…Owen. Are you okay?”
It was inevitable when faced with eyes brimming with emotions.
She must have been troubled.
Where exactly did he experience this emotional turmoil?
It might be incomprehensible.
Because the male protagonist in “Empire’s Flower” and the present him were different people.
Even if he tried to find out, he might not be able to find the reason.
“…….”
Owen gazed at Lucia.
Silently, quietly.
The song still flowed from the stage.
The male protagonist’s heartfelt confession to the witch echoed in his ears.
“I love you.”