Chapter 76 Welcome Back
Night, Tingen City Grand Theater.
With the advancement of Loen's industrialization wave, the city's entertainment industry also developed rapidly, giving birth to performing arts forms suitable for all social classes.
People at the bottom prefer to watch folk songs, acrobatics, and farces. They don't maintain etiquette when watching, but rather laugh, curse, applaud when happy, and immediately boo and drive people away when annoyed, to alleviate the fatigue of a day's work.
The middle and upper classes prefer to watch plays in grand theaters. However, the former regards it as a status symbol, while the latter mostly treats watching plays as a means of social interaction.
Thus, in a grand theater capable of accommodating thousands of Spectators, such a scene would often occur: Spectators in the hall would strive to feign elegance, while nobles in the private boxes would be more casual, interacting with their peers in other boxes while watching.
As for how many of them were truly paying attention to the play itself, only Heaven knew.
"Sir, your ticket."
The waiter in the red uniform respectfully handed the ticket back to Lu Ze, his gaze involuntarily falling on Cecilia beside him, a look of amazement in his eyes.
Not just him, everyone who passed by the entrance subconsciously cast their gaze upon the young girl beside him.
Cecilia was wearing an elegant pale purple gown, with a sweetheart neckline layered at the chest, revealing her fair, rounded shoulders and delicate collarbones. The gown was well-tailored, perfectly accentuating the young girl's graceful curves, like mountains in spring.
Her face was so beautiful it made people forget to breathe. What was most captivating was the hint of shyness on that exquisite face, which added a touch of pity to the hearts of everyone present.
"Lu Ze, am I dressed inappropriately? Why is everyone looking at me?"
Cecilia hid behind Lu Ze and asked in a low voice. Although she usually seemed mature, in such an occasion, she couldn't help but feel nervous, revealing the unique demeanor of a young girl.
"It's nothing, it's because my younger sister is too beautiful, they are mesmerized."
Lu Ze said with a smile, looking around, and noticed that all the ladies were wearing necklaces or earrings to varying degrees, feeling a pang of regret. He had forgotten about this and hadn't prepared any jewelry for his younger sister.
What kind of jewelry would suit Cecilia? I'll take her to a jewelry store in a few days to see.
Lu Ze thought this while reaching out to his younger sister, "Alright, Cecilia, straighten your back, we're going in."
Although it was no longer uncommon for women to watch theatrical performances, in Loen's relatively conservative social environment, a male companion was generally still required.
Entering the fan-shaped theater seating, the scene was lively and chaotic. A curtain separated the stage from the Spectator area, and only the sounds of stage setup could be heard from within. The Spectators below were also conversing—the middle class meticulously maintaining their decorum.
After an unknown amount of time, the theater gradually quieted down, and the performance seemed about to begin.
Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted near the private boxes, then spread to the general seating area.
"Mrs. Sharon is here too!"
Someone in the Spectator area shouted excitedly.
The crowd immediately stirred, and many people craned their necks to look in the direction of the private boxes.
Mrs. Sharon?
Lu Ze seemed to have heard this name before. She was supposedly Tingen City's most famous and beautiful widow, pursued by nobles and wealthy merchants, her enchanting reputation widely spread in the upper-class social circles.
So, she must be very beautiful?
Lu Ze also joined the excitement and looked over, only to see a magnificently dressed lady, her face covered by a veiled hat, entering a private box accompanied by servants. Not only did she cover her renowned face, but even her arms and neck were covered with black gauze.
Although her skin was covered, her graceful figure still attracted countless men's infatuated gazes.
Lu Ze felt Cecilia beside him staring at him, so he shook his head and said, "She doesn't even dare to show her face; she must know she's not as good-looking as my younger sister, so she deliberately covered it."
"Don't talk nonsense, brother!"
Cecilia, who had been a bit unhappy, was immediately amused by him.
After a small interlude, the curtain on the stage opened, and the performance was finally about to begin.
This classic comedy by Emperor Rosell was originally titled "The Backlund Merchant," used to satirize the greed and foolishness of Loen merchants. However, after being introduced to Loen, it was renamed "The Trier Merchant" by local Authors, and the antagonist became a merchant from Trier, the capital of Intis.
But Lu Ze knew that Rosell's play was plagiarized from Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice," one of his four great comedies.
There is a classic scene in this play: In court, the antagonist, citing the contract, demands a pound of flesh from the indebted male protagonist as compensation. However, the female protagonist, disguised as a Judge, uses a loophole in the rules, demanding that the flesh cut by the other party must be exactly one pound, no more, no less, without blood or error, or else he would pay with his life.
Ultimately, the female protagonist, with her wisdom, defeats the antagonist, and everyone is happy.
Lu Ze had enjoyed various forms of entertainment in his previous life, so he wasn't particularly interested in the play itself. But Cecilia was different; it was her first time watching a play, and the magnificent stage settings, the actors' immersive performances, and the classic plot deeply captivated her. She admired the love between the Lovers, worried about the difficulties brought by the antagonist, and was overjoyed at the final happy ending, applauding continuously.
Lu Ze felt that watching his younger sister's reaction was more interesting than watching the play itself. Seeing her so happy, this evening was well worth it.
"Ms. Portia is truly amazing! Not only is she knowledgeable in law, but she's also so clever, completely toying with that despicable Intis rich merchant."
In the carriage on the way back, Cecilia was still talking non-stop about her feelings after watching the play, clearly deeply impressed by the evening.
Lu Ze smiled at his beautiful younger sister and suddenly said, "What's so great about that, Cecilia? As long as you graduate from middle school with good grades, you can also go to your ideal university and become someone like her. I've looked into it, and Backlund has a few good liberal arts universities."
"Go there without worry. Your brother, I, have ample wealth, enough for you to live comfortably in the capital."
To Lu Ze's surprise, Cecilia, upon hearing his arrangements, did not become happy but was stunned.
"But then, I would have to leave Tingen, leave you."
She murmured.
Lu Ze's heart softened. He reached out and held his younger sister's soft hand, smiling and saying, "Cecilia, you should have your own life, not always stay by my side. In the more than ten years I've been ill, you've wasted a lot of your youth caring for me. I can't be so selfish as to keep you in Tingen forever. Otherwise, many years later, our resentment towards each other might outweigh our affection."
The carriage arrived at Narcissus Street 6, and Lu Ze got out. He felt he had spoken a bit too emotionally just now, and after a moment's thought, he smiled again:
"Besides, you're so smart, with a bright future ahead. Your brother, I, might even have to rely on you someday."
With that, he walked ahead, took out his key, and opened the Door.
Behind him, where he couldn't see, Cecilia, who was following, showed a complex and pained expression. She hesitated for a moment and said, "Lu Ze, brother—"
"What is it?"
Lu Ze asked casually, pushing open the Door.
A warm and familiar fragrance wafted towards him. On the living room sofa, someone was waiting for him. The lights came on, and this person stood up with a beautiful smile.
"Welcome back."
Ms. M said gently.