Chapter 25. After the transaction

“Really? But they just said it was sold out…”

Her bewildered tone sounded slightly hesitant, making the young scalper pause and give her a curious look.

‘Is she… a little slow?’

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With that thought, the boy glanced her over.

Her face was as haggard as if she hadn’t slept in days, and her shabby clothes perfectly matched her exhausted expression. Her hair, disheveled from the harsh winter wind, completed the picture.

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The boy, named Finn, thought to himself.

‘She’s either slow or a bit crazy.’

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The latter seemed more likely.

She was probably some country girl who had scraped together all she had to come to the capital, desperate to see this play. Now, hearing the words “sold out,” she had half-lost her mind.

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Despite his youth, Finn was an experienced scalper. He sized her up like a hawk inspecting prey and smirked.

This was a rare find—a perfect target.

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A clueless newcomer, unaware that scalping was illegal. Or perhaps she did know, but was desperate enough to part with anything she had, even the clothes on her back, to buy the ticket.

‘How much can I squeeze out of her this time?’

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Finn let out a quiet laugh and pulled a crisp piece of paper from his coat pocket.

[The Little Duke Raskal, December 8th, 7 PM Performance]

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Even in her dazed state, Serenia recognized the bold red ticket and widened her eyes in surprise.

Seeing the sudden brightness in her expression, Finn slowly spoke.

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“One hundred and fifty krovats.”

Serenia tilted her head slightly, confused.

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She wondered if there was something wrong with her eyes—or perhaps her ears.

The ticket clearly had the price printed on it.

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[General Admission: 10 krovats]

With her mind still foggy, Serenia thought hard, but no answer came to her.

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Reluctantly, she decided to confirm with the boy.

“One hundred and fifty?”

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Finn nodded emphatically.

“Not fifteen, but one hundred and fifty? Really, one hundred and fifty?”

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Finn, now looking slightly annoyed, nodded again.

Serenia took a moment to process the harsh reality.

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Only then did she realize that this boy hadn’t approached her out of goodwill but to sell her a scalped ticket at an outrageous price.

Her expression hardened slightly, but Finn pretended to be startled.

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“What? I only marked it up fifteen times. Why the reaction?”

He clicked his tongue theatrically and began explaining.

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“Today is the last performance. The final show! Don’t you know that tickets for the first and last performances always come with a premium?”

“Is that… really true?”

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“Of course! There’s only one first and one last performance for any show. That’s just how it works.”

Serenia tilted her head again, still unconvinced by his explanation.

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By that logic, wasn’t the second performance also unique? And the third? Why were only the first and last treated as special?

As she pondered this, Finn proudly continued.

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“And yet, I’m only marking it up fifteen times. That makes me an honest seller. I know scalpers who charge twenty times, sometimes even thirty!”

Even with his continued sales pitch, Serenia hesitated. Finn quickly snatched the ticket back and spoke curtly.

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“Fine. If you don’t want it, forget it. There are plenty of others who’d buy this ticket.”

“Wait! No, hold on.”

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“Oh no! It’s already almost seven! I can’t waste time here—I need to find another buyer…”

Finn looked as though he was ready to dash off to another customer.

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Panicking, Serenia grabbed his arm to stop him.

Without noticing the sly grin forming on Finn’s face, she exclaimed desperately.

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“I’ll buy it!”

She instinctively reached into her pocket.

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Of course, her hand grasped nothing.

‘…Oh, right.’

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She remembered she had been so broke that she had used her chair and wardrobe as firewood. How could she possibly have money for a theater ticket?

The absurdity of her actions made her laugh quietly to herself.

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What Serenia didn’t realize was that the poison she had consumed earlier at the duke’s mansion was slowly and steadily eating away at her, now affecting even her judgment.

She pulled her hand from her pocket, hesitated briefly, and closed her eyes tightly.

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The necklace hidden beneath her clothes suddenly felt heavy and cold, like a shackle tightening around her neck.

It was the only keepsake left by her late mother, handed down with her final words.

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‘Why is it that this necklace, so familiar in weight, texture, and warmth, always makes its presence known when I’m most in need of money…?’

It was a mystery she couldn’t quite understand.

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For a moment, she thought it wouldn’t be so bad to rid herself of this shackle.

‘Since I’ve resolved to face the things I don’t want to, maybe it’s time to let go of the burdens of my past as well.’

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Normally, she would have suppressed such thoughts, but under the effects of the poison, Serenia couldn’t resist the impulse.

Slowly, she brought her hands behind her neck.

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Click.

The delicate chain of the necklace came undone.

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The pendant, crafted with meticulous care, revealed a blue gemstone that retained its luxurious presence even in the dim back alley.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Serenia held it out to the young scalper.

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“Ehh, I usually don’t take goods, just cash,” Finn said, though he swiftly grabbed the necklace and inspected it.

He couldn’t tell if the gem was real or not, but even if it was fake, the piece was worth far more than 150 krovats.

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Masking his satisfaction, Finn pretended to grumble.

“Ugh, you know, if I take this to a pawnshop, they’ll dock a huge chunk for fees. I might end up losing money.”

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Despite his complaints, he handed her the ticket without hesitation.

As Serenia slowly picked it up, Finn hesitated for a moment before letting out a small sigh. With a quick motion, he reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a crude black mask.

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The mask was simple, barely big enough to cover the area around the eyes, with no decoration to speak of.

Scratching the back of his head awkwardly, Finn offered it to Serenia.

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When she looked at him in confusion, the boy’s face flushed red as he blurted out, “Th-this is, uh… a service! I’m giving it to you because you’re… pretty! Definitely not because I feel guilty or anything!”

Before she could respond, Finn spun around and dashed off, disappearing into the shadows of the alley.

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Serenia watched his retreating figure, her face blank, before softly saying.

“Thank you.”

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She slipped the mask onto her face and left without hesitation.

* * *

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When Serenia arrived back at the theater entrance, it was well past the show’s start time—about 7:30 PM.

The distance from the alley to the theater was no more than a ten-minute walk at an average pace.

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Yet somehow, it had taken her over thirty minutes.

Only then did Serenia realize something was wrong with her.

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‘Oh, right. I ate poison, didn’t I?’

The thought of heading straight to a hospital briefly crossed her mind.

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But she shook her head.

‘…This is the ticket I got after giving up my necklace, the one I held onto even when I was freezing to death.’

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She couldn’t let that sacrifice go to waste by turning the ticket into a worthless scrap of paper without even setting foot inside the theater.

‘I’m not out of breath, and my consciousness isn’t fading. I should be able to hold out until the end of the show.’

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With that thought, she handed over her ticket and stepped inside.

Her ticket assigned her to seat 99 in Section 14 of the general admission area.

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It was located on the third floor of the grand theater, tucked into the farthest corner.

With stiff legs, Serenia climbed the stairs slowly but deliberately.

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After what felt like an endless struggle, she finally arrived at the entrance to the third-floor seating area.

Just as she reached the door, a thunderous cheer erupted from beyond the thick entrance.

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A theater staff member standing by the door took the opportunity to open it for Serenia.

As she entered the performance hall, her gaze was instinctively drawn—no, stolen—by the brightly illuminated stage far below.

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There, a figure with fiery red hair flowing behind him commanded the dazzling golden stage, moving effortlessly as if the entire space belonged to him.

 

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