✦ Chapter 39 – Wanderbühne Theatre (1) ✦
「Translator – Creator」
𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝
It didn’t take long for me to unravel the source of the young prince’s distress.
‘He made a bet with his sister about the ending of Farewell My Concubine?’
Princess Diana had predicted that Liu Bang would emerge victorious, while Prince Wolfgang had placed his faith in Xiang Yu. The stakes? The most prized possession from each of their respective collections.
Ah, the harsh realities of a bad bet. Poor Wolfgang had learned that lesson the hard way.
“M-my apologies. It was unbecoming to act that way before the great Phantom.”
*Sniffle*
Wolfgang dabbed at his eyes and nose with a handkerchief before offering a sheepish apology. He seemed to have calmed down a bit, his expression shifting from despair to a mild sulk.
“I didn’t call you here to blame you, Phantom. I was just so upset to lose my treasure in that bet. Please forgive my rudeness.”
“With all due respect, Your Highness, if it means so much to you, could you not ask Princess Diana to revoke the bet? I believe she might reconsider for her younger brother.”
“No, that’s out of the question. A promise between royals is sacred. No matter how trivial, it must be honored.”
*Crunch, Crunch.*
Wolfgang shook his head, nibbling on a biscuit slathered with strawberry jam, perhaps seeking solace in sugary treats.
“Besides, my sister always honors her wagers, even when she loses. If a woman acts thus, how can I—a man—go back on my word?”
“Really? Princess Diana has lost a bet to you before?”
Her impeccable reputation made this difficult to imagine. She always seemed to be several steps ahead, predicting every outcome with uncanny accuracy.
“Of course. I’ve beaten her plenty of times.”
Wolfgang puffed out his chest, a hint of pride creeping into his voice.
“Especially when it comes to rare desserts. You know, those special treats that even royals can only enjoy on rare occasions? The Emerald Melon ice cream, the World Tree Honey Pie… I’ve never lost a bet when it comes to those.”
“…..….”
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
It sounded less like “winning” and more like Diana indulging her little brother.
After all, Wolfgang was at that age where sugary treats held irresistible appeal.
‘Well, they do say their relationship is almost like that of mother and son.’
The close bond between the imperial siblings was well-known throughout the empire. With their mother’s untimely death, Diana had stepped up, assuming a maternal role in Wolfgang’s life.
‘So, she’s willing to forgo a dessert or two… but not her precious collection, I see.’
It seemed Princess Diana’s intention in mercilessly taking back the collection was to teach the young prince a life lesson. Nonetheless, seeing the young boy sulking miserably was pitiful.
“…How about this, Your Highness?”
With the prince’s birthday approaching, I decided to extend a generous offer.
“I will let you choose the theme for my next work after <Farewell My Concubine>. Consider it a birthday gift from me.”
“Really? Are you serious?”
“Of course. Don’t feel burdened; just tell me whatever you’d like.”
“Wow!”
Wolfgang’s eyes lit up, his face transforming from despair to childish glee.
He pumped his fists in the air, his earlier formality completely forgotten.
“Thank you! Thank you so much, Phantom! That’s the best birthday gift ever!”
He seemed to have forgotten all about his lost Twin Dragon Blades.
He was twelve, after all. He reminded me of my nephews back in my old life — Hae-eun’s kids.
My sister and her husband were rather strict when it came to their children’s education and behavior. Whenever the kids got in trouble, they’d come running to their Uncle “Doraemon,” seeking comfort and consolation.
‘Uncle! I got scolded by mom because my grades dropped!’
‘Uncle! I want a cheeseburger, but Dad says it’s unhealthy!’
Those pleas were always difficult to resist.
I’d often end up taking them to the latest blockbuster movie or sneaking them a Happy Meal.
My feelings towards Prince Wolfgang now were not much different from those times.
“So, Your Highness, tell me. What kind of play would you like to see?”
I casually adjusted the white mask I always wore in public, but my mind was already racing, trying to anticipate the prince’s preferences.
Giant robots? Toy swords? Model tanks? Masked superheroes?
At his age, boys were usually drawn to stories of adventure, war, and action.
‘He’ll probably ask for another heroic epic, something along the lines of Xiang Yu’s story…’
Who would be a suitable protagonist? Richard the Lionheart? The legendary Korean Swordmaster, Cheok Jun-gyeong? Or perhaps Simo Häyhä, the deadliest sniper in history? I mentally sorted through a list of potential candidates.
“Horror!”
…Huh?
“I want to see a terrifying horror play! Something so scary that it makes my hair stand on end, something that will keep me up all night!”
“H-horror, Your Highness?”
It was then that I noticed part of the prince’s collection displayed neatly in the room.
As expected, the items related to Phantom’s plays occupied the most prominent spots. But behind those, tucked away in corners and overflowing from shelves, was a collection of a completely different nature.
An entire section of the cabinet was dedicated to horror-themed content — Tales of Werewolves, Legends of Vampires, Encounters with Ghouls, A Compendium of Exorcism Cases… And more.
The shelves were overflowing with novels and folklore centered around creatures and themes familiar to the inhabitants of this world.
Seeing this, I clicked my tongue inwardly.
This boy…he certainly had specific tastes.
✧❅✦❅✧
A short while after my visit to the imperial palace as the playwright Phantom.
I was standing near the academy’s main gate, dressed in my best for going out.
It was that time of the year when midterms were wrapping up.
All the academy students were busy celebrating the end of exams.
Of course, many would drown in despair once the results came out, but for now, they sought rapid escape through alcohol and entertainment.
‘…Come to think of it, Professor Gaby better really give me that A+.’
I’d taken her word about my performance in <Farewell My Concubine> serving as my midterm grade, so I hadn’t bothered submitting anything else. If she went back on her word…well, things would get awkward.
Anyways, I was also preparing to go out for a similar purpose.
“Hmm, horror…horror…”
*Tick-tock*
I glanced down at my pocket watch, its hands ticking steadily forward, as I pondered my next move.
Even with his attempts at maturity, Wolfgang was still a child. I, too, had a fondness for scary stories and movies at his age. Goosebumps, Ghost Stories, The Grudge… My horror tolerance might have increased with age, but back then, a good scare was an instant dopamine rush.
“The prince wants something truly terrifying…”
Honestly, this was a high-level challenge. No, it wasn’t just high; it was extremely, extremely high.
My specialty lay in bringing historical figures to life through drama.
War, politics, comedy, religion, philosophy, action, and romance—those were my realms. But horror was a completely different genre.
‘Should I mimic the horror films I’ve seen in my past life, like I did with Charlie Chaplin?’
Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, George Romero and so forth — the masters of the genre. Their filmographies were a veritable treasure trove of horror tropes and techniques.
…But nothing truly stood out. Nothing that felt right.
‘Ultimately, it’s about understanding what scares people in this world.’
The threshold for fear is more relative than expected.
Depending on the culture, values, and sentiments, what one finds frightening can differ greatly.
Modern audiences, for example, tended to be scared by zombies, serial killers, and things that went bump in the night.
For those living in the bleak, urban sprawl of modern society, these elements—the familiar yet unsettling—were a potent source of fear.
But would the inhabitants of this medieval world react in the same way?
Zombies might just be considered undead, more of a nuisance to be eradicated rather than feared. And the concept of a serial killer wasn’t even recognizable in their time.
From what I knew, there was one entity people in this other world feared the most.
‘The Devil.’
The Devil, differing fundamentally from the Northern demonic tribes, were literal incarnations of pure evil from the pits of hell.
They were terrifyingly unpredictable beings that only the singular, the Divine One could contend with.
Playing with humans as if they were mere toys, corrupting minds with madness, seducing hearts into depravity, manipulating humans to bring chaos and destruction.
Before such a Devil, humans were insignificant insects in a storm, doomed to insanity and ruin without the blessing of the divine.
Indeed, the prince’s horror collection included numerous tales and grim religious paintings depicting these demonic beings and their hellish realms.
‘So, the boy likely wants to see a chilling tale involving the devil…’
If that were the case, being a modern person might actually be a disadvantage here.
Unless one was a devout religious zealot, who genuinely fears the Devil today?
Many modern people don’t even believe in the existence of the Devil.
The existence of the Devil might be used as catalysts or plot devices in horror movies, but few works focused solely on the Devil itself.
“Hmm, what to do…”
I certainly couldn’t claim to know more about devils than a medieval person.
I’d have to resort to the life or work of some historical figure from my previous world.
‘Who among the historical figures depicted devils or a unique form of terrifying evil well?’
Hieronymus Bosch, dubbed the painter of hell?
Francisco de Goya, famous for Saturn Devouring His Son?
Aleister Crowley, the occultist who laid the foundation for dark magic culture?
I was biting my lip, lost in contemplation, when—
“B-Balthazar!”
“Ah! Senior Rosalyn! You’re here.”
“Mm… Did you wait long?”
“No. I just got here myself. But, wow, senior…”
Today, Rosalyn looked especially stunning, making me gasp unintentionally.
Her auburn hair, carefully brushed and styled, was adorned with delicate hairpins.
Sparkly earrings and a necklace with a shimmering gemstone added a touch of elegance.
And her dress, a flowing, sky-blue creation, flowed gracefully, accentuating her curves.
“You put in a lot more effort than usual today? It was worth the wait.”
“R-really? That’s good to hear. Hee hee.”
“Who are you trying to look so pretty for? Is it perhaps for me?”
“What? Uh, that… well…”
“I-I was just joking. Sorry.”
“No, no! It’s fine!”
Seeing my senior’s face turn beet red, I awkwardly tried to explain myself.
Things had been a bit awkward between us since the final performance of <Farewell My Concubine>. Not that we’d grown distant. We were still close friends — closer than most. But her demeanor had shifted, becoming more… hesitant.
Probably because I had added that unplanned near-kiss scene, which had created a slight distance between us.
Each time I apologized, she waved it off as no big deal, trying not to dwell on it too much.
But I understood that as a dignified noblewoman, she must have felt quite embarrassed and startled.
So, I decided to quietly wait for her to feel at ease again.
“Shall we go then? We’re supposed to meet Maurice and Julian at the agreed location, right?”
“Yes, let’s go, Balthazar.”
She slipped her hand carefully under my arm, assuming the posture of a lady being escorted by a gentleman.
Just like always, she adopted the proper stance for a lady receiving a gentleman’s escort.
The only difference now was that, unlike before when she would energetically laugh and lead the way, she now avoided my gaze with a faintly blushed face.
‘It looks like it’ll take some time for things to return to normal.’
Still, I was genuinely grateful that Senior Rosalyn was a kind-hearted person.
Even though she must have been uncomfortable, she didn’t push me away and continued to approach me like this.
Today, we were heading to a tent of a traveling theater troupe that had recently moved to the capital.
With midterms nearly over, we’d decided to watch a performance to lift our spirits.
Maurice, his girlfriend Julian, Rosalyn, and I—all together.
Maurice jokingly called it a “double date,” but given the current awkwardness between Rosalyn and me, I could only chuckle wryly.
‘By the way, didn’t that theater troupe specialize in puppet shows?’
I think their name was ‘Wanderbühne’ or something. Given that I wasn’t too familiar with them, they must have gained prominence relatively recently in the theater world.
Word had it that they were the best in the empire when it came to puppet theater.
So, hearing about Wanderbühne’s visit had excited many students, who flocked to their shows.
Even Maurice, a fervent admirer of Phantom’s works, insisted that seeing a performance by Wanderbühne was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and had eagerly urged me to join.
‘But no matter how impressive a puppet show is, it’s still just a puppet show, right?’
It was a fair question, coming from a jaded, reincarnated Earthling.
I found myself sharing Maurice’s enthusiasm, wondering what all the fuss was about.
With senior clinging to my arm, we stepped out of the academy gates and into the bustling city streets.
✧❅✦❅✧
A short while later, we arrived under the large tent of the traveling theater troupe.
*Dum-Dum-Dum.*
A drumbeat echoed through the tent, followed by a clear, ringing voice.
“Hee hee hee! Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome, welcome!”
Then, hop! A woman leaped onto a tall chair on the other side.
“You have entered the world of Wanderbühne, the greatest traveling theater troupe! The pinnacle of puppetry! A dangerous world where wonder and excitement never cease!”
She tipped her wide-brimmed silk hat and bowed gracefully to the audience.
Perched atop her light brown bob hair were a pair of bunny ears, standing perkily and looking quite cute.
She was Fluffy, the mountain rabbit beastman and the person in charge of the traveling troupe we came to see today.
With her small, adorable frame, she looked like a preschooler in a magician’s costume performing at a school play.
— End of Chapter —
⚘ ⚘ ⚘
If you liked the novel, do not forget to rate and review the novel on ⟿ NovelUpdates.
Also, if you cannot wait to see what lies ahead in the story, curious about what to unfold, I have added some ⟿ advanced chapters on the site.