Momo The Applause of Marielle Clarac

1. Auflage 2022
ISBN: 978-1-7183-2240-0
Verlag: J-Novel Heart
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 250 Seiten

Reihe: The Tales of Marielle Clarac

Now that they're safely back home, life is back to normal for Marielle and Simeon-but when are their lives ever normal?!

Despite a looming risk that her secret career as an author might be exposed, Marielle is working hard on her next book and even gets an intriguing new writing opportunity! She also finally gets to meet Princess Henriette's fiancé, Prince Liberto, who has come to Lagrange on an official visit. Things truly take a turn for the dramatic, however, when an innocent trip to the theater is interrupted by a dire threat from Lutin, the mysterious thief. Does this have anything to do with Prince Liberto? He is Lutin's boss, after all-and Marielle can't help feeling like there's something going on behind the curtain with him...

The eighth volume in the adventures of the now happily married fangirl who obsesses over her husband and everyone around him!

Autoren/Hrsg.

Momo, Haruka

Weitere Mitwirkende

Maro

Reuben, Philip

Leseproben

Chapter One

The city was home to no small number of fabulous entertainment venues, but one was particularly popular with its never-ending stream of visitors. Far from its large hall where music and shows were performed to cheering audiences, its upper floor was home to an array of private rooms, each with an air of exclusivity. At the farthest end, away from all prying eyes, a man and a woman were having a secret rendezvous.

The room was one of the venue’s more understated options, but when the restless man sat down, he was nonetheless surrounded by decidedly exquisite decor. The chair, with a beautiful woven pattern on its seat and back, received him gently. He’d worn his best suit to avoid looking out of place, but sadly he was outshone by the quality of the furnishings.

His young face, full of vitality, had a masculine handsomeness to it, and he had taken great pains to force his ever-unruly hair into a gentlemanly style. Despite appearances, however, it was more than obvious that he wasn’t accustomed to such places. The atmosphere had overwhelmed him straight away, and he hunched up, looking very uncomfortable indeed.

The woman who sat down across from him had her face hidden by a lace veil. Her velvet dress, appropriate for the late autumn season, was dark brown. It appeared plain at first glance, but the design was in keeping with the latest fashion. The figure-hugging skirt emphasized her dainty silhouette. This type of dress was also favored by the courtesans who worked here, as it was optimal for showing off one’s sensual appeal. However, unlike the courtesans, this woman was rather lacking in curves. Her thin limbs, which held not even a smidgen of voluptuous charm, still looked like those of an adolescent.

Once they both were settled, the woman spoke first. “I’m awfully sorry to have brought you to a place like this.”

Her mouth and chin were barely visible below the veil’s hem. Of her face, which could not be called beautiful, this portion was the only acceptably well-shaped feature. Her mouth was neither too large nor too small, her lips neither too thick nor too thin. The red lipstick she wore made a striking impression against her plain-colored dress and mostly concealed face.

It seemed to have unwittingly drawn the man’s attention. He quietly cleared his throat and pulled himself together. “I could say the same thing. It must have been quite an ordeal for you to come here.”

“I arranged for them to let me in through the back entrance secretly. I don’t think anybody saw me.”

The man paused awkwardly. “Someone of your status shouldn’t have to be sneaking around. It only goes to show how useless I am.”

“Don’t talk like that. You’re going to all this trouble for me. You should know how much I appreciate it.”

“That’s quite all right. It’s my duty, after all. I’ll do anything I can to shield you from being vilified in the eyes of the public.” He wavered a moment. “It would be easier if we could make a public announcement, of course.”

“That’s true. I wish we could, but we still have to keep it a secret for now. We have to take extra precautions to ensure that no one finds out about our relationship.”

“Indeed.”

He extended his hands toward hers, which were resting on the table. The gazes of this pair who shared a secret became intertwined. There was little need for words. Not wishing to waste their limited time together, they both leaned in, closing the distance between them.

Just then, forceful footsteps could be heard outside the room moments before the door flew open without a knock. A powerful voice struck the couple. “Marielle!”

The newcomer, a young man with hair a pale shade of blond, strode across the room, a stiff expression on his features so perfect they could belong to a doll. Reflexively, the seated man rose halfway to his feet. The woman gasped. Icy blue eyes looked down at them both from behind a pair of glasses.

A supremely low-pitched voice emerged from his well-formed lips. “What are you doing here?” He practically forced the words out, as if he didn’t want to believe what he was seeing, but the undeniable sight before him left him angry and resentful.

“Goodness gracious!” the woman exclaimed. “A husband catching his wife in the act of unfaithfulness! I never dreamed I’d have the opportunity to research a scene like this firsthand! Please don’t misunderstand, however. The only one I love is you, Lord Simeon! Down to my very soul, I belong to you alone! Not counting Chouchou, of course.”

“I know that! That was the question I was asking. Hold on—do I take second place to a cat?!”

“You’re in joint first place. I must say, though, that’s a rather easygoing reply for someone who was so recently suffering from rather strong feelings of apprehension and inferiority!”

“Well, perhaps, but... No, that’s of no consequence right now! Explain yourself!”

“There you go changing the subject!”

“You’re the one who’s changing the subject!”

Caught between the arguing husband and wife, the other man sighed deeply and sat down again. “Didn’t you tell him what was going on? If you arranged a secret meeting like this, you can hardly blame him for being worried.”

Under his chiding gaze, she—I, that is—threw off the veil. It was only getting in the way.

“I left a message that he should come to pick me up. The time I specified was later than this, however. I’m surprised he’s here so early.”

Still standing, my husband looked at me. To blend in among the ladies of the evening working at this establishment as best I could, I had adopted a style of hair and makeup to give me a grown-up look quite unlike my usual aura. He heaved a powerful sigh. “You said you would be visiting your family, but then your message said to collect you at Tarentule—the brothel. How could I maintain my composure after hearing that?”

“I didn’t lie to you. I went to my family home first to reapply my makeup, and then I came here. Traveling straight here in a House Flaubert carriage would have been too risky, so I switched to a fiacre mid-journey. That was why I wanted you to pick me up. I decided that if we left together, then even in the unlikely event that we’re spotted, I’d be taken for a lady of the evening that you’re bringing home.”

“That would damage my reputation!”

“It’s fine. It’s quite common in society.”

With the door still open, our voices could evidently be heard from outside, as a group of young women came peering in. They were this establishment’s premier attraction, the beautiful Three Flowers.

“It is fine by any stretch of the imagination,” Lord Simeon argued. “I don’t want people to say I’ve been intimately involved with a woman other than you, even if it’s merely rumor. You are the one and only person I desire.”

Filled with amusement, the Three Flowers began to interject with somewhat frivolous remarks.

“Good heavens,” said one. “What a thing for a straitlaced man to say with such earnestness!”

“I feel the same way, my beloved. Alas, I had no choice. Unavoidable circumstances forced my hand.”

“But the lady won’t be outdone!” came another interjection.

“I don’t know the situation, of course,” my husband replied, “but it’s hard to believe there was no other recourse.”

“Oh my, the situation has descended into full-on chaos! There’s nothing more dramatic than an encounter between the husband and the secret paramour,” came yet another.

Lord Simeon finally lost patience and turned to the three ladies. “You almost seem happy about it! Could I please ask you to be quiet for a moment?”

His tolerance for jibes was still low—even for mild ones.

His objection, however, only made the trio burst into uproarious laughter. They crowded around the other man sitting in the chair.

“Well? Nothing from the paramour?” one of them prodded.

“It’s no fun if you just watch in silence,” another added. “You have to step into the fray!”

“I’m not her ‘paramour,’” he replied weakly.

Mr. Paul Satie, the young owner of Satie Publishing and also my editor, let out another heavy breath as he leaned on the table and rested his cheeks in his hands. He picked up the large, thick envelope that he had been about to hand me earlier. Stuffed inside was none other than a manuscript. Holding it up, Mr. Satie entreated, “I’m sorry for all this fuss, but I’d like to focus on our meeting first. You can’t have rented this room for very long, surely.”

“Oh, extending the booking would be no issue!” announced Isabelle.

“Why don’t you stay the night, in fact?” Chloe pressed. “We’ll keep you company!”

Flanked by the strong-willed redhead and the sweet blonde, Mr. Satie shrank back. “I’m not made of money, you know. I run a small-time publishing company that’s one stiff breeze away from collapse. I could never afford your services.”

“Agnès owes you an awful lot, doesn’t she?” said Olga. “We’ve also benefited greatly from your work. Our enjoyment from reading Satie...