#also can you tell my inner vil lover came out from the way i wrote his part—

[traumxrei-archive]

【 noble gentlemen; pomefiore 】

— or, the noble gentlemen series, in which the genre of the world is historical fantasy, and you and the twst boys are citizens of a distant magical land !

details: gn! reader, drabbles, can be read platonically or romantically

note: pomefiore my beloveds !! they were super fun to write, but also the way i got stuck trying to make them more...magical and mystical bc their arc is mostly centered around theater sjfkdjsk

[ part four out of seven in the noble gentlemen series ]

After every notable performance, all newspapers waited for a letter with bated breath. They never knew where it was going to be sent, only that it was going sent one day after the show. That letter was from the mysterious 'R', a well-renowned critic who indulged in beautiful things.

You, however, were less interested in what 'R' wrote but rather in who 'R' was. The only thing that was known about 'R' was the fact that he was a man. That was how you approached this performance at a fancy Ashengrotto restaurant. You scanned the crowds around you. The seating was random, so it could be that you were somewhere within the vicinity of 'R'...

"Mon minou," An exuberant voice caught your attention. "What is so interesting that your eyes are on the audience instead of the performance?" Perfectly smooth blond hair and foxy eyes, framed by a fedora. With no better excuse, you tell him about your ambition to unmask 'R' and the man laughed, seemingly delighted. You tilted your head at his reaction.

His eyes curved as he smiled, tapping a gloved finger on your table, "Should we make it a contest then? Of who can unmask this 'R' character first?" And well…why not? You shook his hand and he made a pleased noise, "It is my pleasure to indulge in such an exciting hunt. My name is Rook. Rook Hunt." And that was how you embarked on a hunt to unmask 'R' with your new acquaintance, Rook.

———

Rook was very passionate about theater. He clapped the loudest and he always had the most to say to you, his theater buddy. Rook never sought to disturb the performance, no, he was simply...brimming with excitement. It was hard not to pay attention to his every word, with how he enriched the performance for you— and, unintentionally, those around you too.

"My! C'est tres bien!" Rook's eyes sparkled as he regarded you. "That last part, yes, with the vibrato...it was simply divine. Like an angel had descended on Earth!" Rook continued spewing various forms of compliments. It seemed that he was just the type of person to find the beauty in sorrowful things like failure. You just wished that he would do so in a way that attracted less attention, but you guessed that was a part of Rook’s “charm”.

———

Rook played favorites. You had initially thought that his love for watching performances was equally great. But now you knew that Rook was a particularly big fan of the up-and-coming actor, Neige LeBlanche. It really wasn't that noticeable with how enthusiastic the other was, but...there was always an extra large smile on his face when it came to Neige.

"How did you know?" Rook looked quite surprised when you mentioned it to him. "C'est vraiment. I've been a fan of Roi du Neige ever since he was a rookie actor. Ah, it brings me back to the early days..." As you listened to Rook’s stories, you realize now that maybe you spent a little too much time with Rook rather than hunting for 'R'. Not that you minded at all, Rook was better company than a mysterious critic you didn't know.

———

Rook very seldom met with you outside of the theater, but today was quite different. He had requested that you accompanied him to the post office. A weird request, but you chalked it up to another one of his whimsical wants.

"Pay attention to me," Rook smiled; secretive and soft as he started to write the contents of the letter. You had an inkling that you knew where this would lead; the signs were quite obvious. Your theories were confirmed when you watched him sign the letter with the cursive letter 'R'.

You grabbed at his arm then, startling the man, "What is it, mon minou? Are you shocked by my true identity?" You shook your head, giving him a secretive smile of your own. You asked him what your prize would be. Well, you did agree that the first person to catch ‘R’ would win. So clearly this was your win.

Shock preceded the understanding on Rook's face, "Fufufu~ So the tricked becomes the trickster. I shall treat you to the most extravagant dinner! With meats caught dutifully by this Rook Hunt!" You had a feeling that you had only scratched the surface of what made Rook himself, and that you would be learning more and more about him now that you knew his secret.

Of all the actors that were circulating the entertainment sphere, Epel Femlier was a unique one. The first thing about him was his uniquely delicate looks. Critics and fans waxed poetic of his ephemeral beauty and the sweet lilt of his voice. And the second thing was the fact that he was a famous actor's protégé. Now that garnered attention. Even if Epel hasn't acted on the big stages yet, many people were already a fan. You couldn’t lie that you weren’t slightly curious about the fledgling actor. And you never thought that you would get to meet him— and especially not at a farmer’s market. 

You looked at the stalls overflowing with produce and then back at your basket, which was almost full. You sighed. Maybe you should’ve brought a bigger basket. Still, you continued to peruse the streets, before your eyes fell upon the unassuming apple stand. Apples. Rows and rows of bright red apples lined the stall’s display, along with glass bottles filled to the brim with golden apple juice. You swallowed back a gulp. That juice sure looked appetizing…

“You wanna try some?” The voice shocked you out of your staring, and you could see a young man with a low-brimmed cap sitting behind the stand. “Ah, ‘M not supposta give out freebies, but…I’ll give it to you if you won’t snitch.”

You nodded, watching as the man uncorked a bottle, pouring two glasses. The juice tasted sweet on your tongue, the flavor instantly lifting your spirits. You made sure to tell the male, who was very happy to hear your compliments. “Right? My meemaw’s apples are just the best aren’t they?” In his excitement, his hat fell and lavender locks came into view. Your eyes widened. Wasn’t this guy—?

“Shh, don’t go makin’ a fuss now!” The man sighed, his voice softening as his accent melted away. “I didn’t think anyone would recognize me at a farmer’s market like this… Could you please keep this a secret? Vil would ki- I mean, he wouldn’t be happy about this…I think.” You nodded still in shock at your luck. Who would’ve known that the Epel Felmier would be tending to a stand at a farmer’s market? Although that was your first encounter with Epel, it surely wasn’t your last.

———

The next time that you met Epel was also at an unexpected place. You hadn’t meant to peek into the alleyway. No, your heard noises, so you came to check it out. And you were just going to leave! That was when you spotted Epel arguing loudly with some suspicious people. You didn’t have time to think before grabbing his arm and dragging him out of the alley.

He sputtered, “Whaddaya think you’re doin’!” You explained that you saw one of them holding a camera as you ran. Maybe they had been “scandal fishing”, a nasty practice that gossip magazines started doing to fabricate stories. Epel lost his angry expression then, immediately mellowing out, “Ah. Vil did tell me about those kinds of scams…I can’t believe I almost fell for it. This is the second time you’ve covered for me. I should find a way to thank you...”  You breathed a sigh of relief when you realized you lost them, just glad that Epel didn’t get damaged by such a trap.

———

The next time you met, it was Epel that called you out, after you exchanged names of course. You met him at your house and found him dressed in his plain clothes disguise. He immediately handed you a small item. You turned it over in your hands, marveling at the delicate features on the wooden bird that Epel clearly hand-carved.

“Don’t be impressed just yet,” Epel said, though you could see his chest puffing out at your compliments. “That’s made out of apple wood. But let me carve you something out of a real apple.” Epel told you a lot about his hometown, Harveston as he carved. And you spent the afternoon chatting with the actor and marveling at the growing carved apple collection on your plate. (Was there a way to preserve these carved apples so they didn’t go bad? You didn’t want all the carvings of Epel’s to go to waste.)

———

There was no shortage of surprises when you were with Epel. And this time was no different, as you were sprinting through the streets. It seemed that no matter where he went, Epel really was too recognizable. You couldn’t even enjoy a simple stroll without hordes of his fans chasing you down. You stumbled as you ran behind the lavender-haired man.

“Ah, careful there!” Epel yelled as you two rounded a corner. “We gotta lose them before this turns into a bigger fiasco!” You nodded, before telling him to turn left instead of right this time. And that was how you two ended up crouching in the corner of an unattended horse stable.

The two of you held your breaths as the fans passed by, not suspecting a thing. “I should be used to the stink, but ugh,” Epel wrinkled his nose. Seeing his angelic face twist into one of disgust was enough to send you into a fit of laughter. “O-Oi, there wasn’t anythin’ funny ‘bout that!” Epel’s accent always slipped out when he was mad, but you could tell he wasn’t mad at you. No, he was holding back his laughter himself. Later on, Epel’s mentor, Vil, scolded the two of you when you came back to the studio. But Epel didn’t seem all that upset. Instead, he shared a smile with you, as if the experience was a little secret between just the two of you.

If you knew anything about the entertainment business, it was about Vil Schoenheit. Being an actor since he was young, the man seemed perfect in every way. You often saw his name in the headlines of newspapers as he delivered groundbreaking performance after performance.

So as a treat for yourself, you wanted to watch one of his stage plays. But maybe you should’ve been expecting that all the tickets for his show were sold out. For months. Dejected, you bought a ticket for another play instead.

As you settled into the balcony seat, you noticed the man sitting next to you. He was wearing a long cowl, which obstructed most of his face. But you could see him tapping his perfectly manicured nails on the theater seat.

"You there who was staring," The man's voice made you jump and you hesitantly turned toward him. "Why did you come to watch this play?" You...didn't know what to say, so you told him the truth.

"Hmm, so you wanted to see a Vil Schoenheit show," The man shifted as the lights in the theater dimmed, signaling the start of the show. "What is it that you like about him?" You shrugged, telling him that he caught your attention and that you wanted to learn more about him.

As the lights turned on, the man lowered his cowl, revealing a too-familiar face that you had seen in papers. There was a strikingly beautiful smile on his face, "Well? What would you like to know? I'll make an exception and answer your questions— after we watch the play." And that was how you accidentally became acquainted with Vil Schoenheit.

———

Vil was a phenomenal performer. You had received a scented invitation with tickets to his show and who were you to deny the very thing you were looking forward to? You swallowed as one of the staff led you to his dressing room after the show. Vil was there, tying off his silk robe when you entered.

He sat down, glancing at you through the mirror, "What did you think?" You couldn't help but earnestly compliment the way he portrayed the character he played; slipping in a few critiques as well. He listened intently to you, evident by the way he kept glancing up at you as he removed his makeup.

"Hmm, it seems that you have the talent to be a critic," Vil turned in his chair. There was a smile on his face that showed his satisfaction with your words. And you couldn't help but see a dissonance between the Vil you read about in papers and the Vil in front of you now. Wasn’t he very far removed from the villain image those papers portrayed?

———

Vil liked to experiment. Especially when he was feeling stressed. According to his coworkers, his favorite canvas used to be his protégé. But now...you were his preferred canvas. Today you were at a tailor’s shop— one of the best tailors in the kingdom, might you add— without an appointment. You guessed that the owner was a good friend of Vil’s. The actor was tapping his feet impatiently as you finally stepped out of the dressing room.

“Hmm, this color…” He mused, his fingers sliding up the soft fabric that fell down your arms. “It would look good with a bold eyeshadow, and a subtle lipstick to compliment your skin tone.” Vil fussed around you some more before having you try on a few more outfits. But what surprised you most was that he ended up buying almost everything you tried on. Your jaw dropped as you saw the price.

When you tried to refuse, Vil scoffed, “Do you think me so poor that I can’t afford a few outfits for you? I get paid handsomely, thank you very much.” You didn’t know how to refuse Vil’s brand of bullheaded kindness and it seemed that the man wasn’t giving you an inch to make excuses. (Well…the people at your estate were certainly shocked when you came home carrying a chestful of new clothes.)

———

You didn't think that Vil was that attached to you. This whole time, it felt like you were lucky that you kept his attention for so long. But that view changed as soon as Vil was invited to a traveling actor's troupe.

"Good...morning," Vil looked strangely flighty as he greeted you. And you half had to blink to make sure you actually were seeing Vil Schoenheit in your drawing room.

"Let me get straight to the point: I have a proposal," He pulled out a sheaf of paper. "Would you like to come with me to my next project?" It was a big project and Neige LeBlanche, Vil's rival in acting, was also invited. It would be a performance of a lifetime each night. You agreed, and you could see the nervousness vanish from Vil's face instantly. It seemed that you weren't just a fan to Vil and that he regarded you firmly as a companion.

[ bonus : how do these gentlemen know each other ? ]

— As you already know, Vil and Epel share a mentor-protégé relationship. This all started because Vil happened to be shooting at Harveston one day, and he saw Epel arguing with one of the filming staff. Afterward, he offered Epel an apprenticeship.

— Obviously Epel refused at first, until Vil showed him the true power of honing one's beauty instead of hiding from it: by selling out his family's whole stock of apple juice in just under an hour. Vil didn't do anything special, he did an interview where he mentioned that he was fond of the apple juice and the rest is history.

— Since Epel grew up in the country side, he was still stuck in the outdated way of thinking, which is why Vil was always so strict with him. Though Vil would never say it out loud, Epel had already made him proud by getting as far as he did already.

— So how is Rook related to them? Rook, of course, was captivated by Vil and Epel's beauty. He had been following Vil as long as he had been following Neige. And Vil considered Rook his greatest critic, because he would never sugarcoat his words when he did a bad performance.

— Meanwhile, Epel isn't aware that Rook is the mysterious critic 'R'. No, instead he thinks that Rook was some...weirdo that somehow was friends with Vil. Rook thought it was cute how Epel glared at him. It made him look that much more lovable!

— In the spirit of wanting them to get along, Vil had once invited them both to watch a play. Not only did that end in disaster, their covers also almost got blown because Rook and Epel were debating against each other so loudly. It was safe to say that they now got along whenever Vil was there, not wanting to gamble with his wrath more than once.

— Though at times, Rook and Vil disagreed too. Especially when it came to the topic of Neige LeBlanche. Epel has learned that it was wise not to bring up this Neige character around either of them. Vil's mood would instantly sour. Meanwhile Rook would go on the longest tangent ever. Epel would rather spend his time doing other things.

i hope you enjoyed this installment of the noble gentlemen series <33 if you’d like to read more, check out my masterlist, or the rest of the noble gentlemen series :D