Chapter 35
The Crown Prince looked at him and smiled as if pleased.
“Ah. So you’ve come too. How is life at the palace? Are you enjoying your visits to the capital?”
“Thank you for asking. The capital is a bit noisy by my standards.”
“The northern region is quiet. But you need to get used to events like this.”
Even though we weren’t exchanging many words, there was a palpable spark in the air. Suddenly, the Crown Prince stepped closer to me. Instinctively, I stepped back—but I was blocked by Leon behind me and couldn’t move.
“It will take a long life to see it. Everyone has someone they fancy.”
“He’s a valuable talent.”
The Duke’s tone was firm and decisive. Should I be pleased that my abilities were recognized, or feel like I was being treated as a mere asset? Unsure, I decided to respond positively for now. After all, the Duke seemed to be looking out for me.
“Thank you, Your Grace, the Duke.”
The Crown Prince gave me a calm smile, glanced at me once, then returned his gaze to Leon.
“If you say so, there’s no way Katia wouldn’t be envious.”
He was handsome, but personally, I didn’t feel like working with him. He seemed far too sluggish. I turned toward Katia.
“Ah, Miss Katia. Congratulations on founding your troupe. Thank you for giving my sister a chance as well.”
This was the purpose of my visit. Whether in society or business, formal greetings are essential. I extended my hand to shake hers, and Katia smiled as she accepted it.
“Leuke is also quite a valuable talent.”
Our handshake tightened slightly, emphasizing “valuable talent.” She really didn’t hold back in her words. I let go of her hand and glanced around. I could see Leuke happily chatting with the troupe members in the corridor.
“I’ll go visit my sister for a bit.”
“I’ll wait.”
Leaving the Duke behind, I went to Leuke to let her know I was leaving. Earlier, I had said I would stay until the end, but now I wanted to get back and help Katia. That’s right—sometimes losing once helps a person grow.
The day after the founding ceremony, Leuke shyly showed me a newsletter with a play advertisement.
“I wanted to show you yesterday, but it seemed like you were asleep.”
“You came in late yesterday?”
“A little?”
“Hehe, sounds like you had fun.”
“Yeah. Meeting new people and talking with the troupe was really enjoyable.”
Leuke smiled brightly, then added, somewhat proudly:
“Did you see Burtington and Aunt’s faces yesterday? How could I not be excited?”
“Honestly, I could tell just from their backs. All stiff and rigid.”
We laughed, knowing the repercussions would come, but whatever happened now, we weren’t afraid.
“Are you practicing hard?”
“Of course.”
“Let me see then.”
I worried she might embarrass herself if unprepared, but Leuke firmly shook her head.
“No, I’m embarrassed.”
Understandable. Showing family is always the most embarrassing.
“Isn’t it too rushed—from founding to the first play?”
“A bit, but… I can do it.”
Leuke suddenly cleared her throat.
“I’ll show just a little.”
Though she had insisted she couldn’t before, it seemed she couldn’t resist showing off.
“Can’t even take care of myself, and you want to help others?”
The line sounded mocking. Her breathing and tone were good, not bad at all. She was a bit stiff, but the delivery was solid. Though… the lines sounded villainous.
“What role?”
“Villain.”
“Villain? You?”
“Hehe, you wouldn’t even imagine it. Come and see.”
Leuke looked confident. Aside from Katia, I was curious about Leuke’s performance. Even if Leuke didn’t appear, I would still want to see the play.
“The newsletter even said people are looking forward to it. Maybe because Katia is already famous? Writing an article about a play that hasn’t even started yet.”
Leuke handed me the newsletter. But I noticed other evaluations of plays further down.
“Hm… a play with monsters deceives the audience…?”
“Someone said that?”
“Oh, that was another article.”
“That’s a bit much.”
It seemed obvious to me that it was Katia’s doing, but Leuke hadn’t considered that. There were also mentions of the Forest Troupe: that closing doors indicated financial issues, or that overly experimental plays couldn’t survive audience indifference—almost like rumors.
“They probably wrote that because it’s a hot topic, not because they know anything about the play.”
Leuke hurriedly grabbed the newsletter back.
“Hm… Forest Troupe needs to open soon too.”
“Wasn’t it because you were busy preparing for the play at the banquet?”
“That ended more smoothly than expected. Both the members and I are eager to meet the audience.”
“True. The Forest Troupe has a close bond with its audience. Even casual theatergoers tend to favor it more.”
“Yes, exactly.”
“I hope our troupe will be like that soon too. Hehe, we have to work hard!”
“Of course we will. And Katia knows a lot about theater too.”
Though I said it, my heart felt heavy. People always sense when they’re being looked down upon. A theater is a place where everyone sits equally, but will the audience notice? Could this hierarchy strategy harm Leuke?
“I’ll definitely watch the first play. I’m going to the theater today.”
“Oh, okay. I have practice too!”
We left our homes. If this goes well, I’ll live freely with Leuke. The Duke suggested coming north, but Katia and the Duke were both troublesome. I wanted to continue working with the actors, selling merchandise, and living with Leuke.
My steps quickened toward the theater, eager to open its doors. Though the entrance was quiet, I could feel the energy of the people inside. I straightened my shoulders and entered.
“Has everyone heard from Alex?”
“Yes!”
Anna answered loudly. The other troupe members nodded.
“The newsletter made it seem like the Forest Troupe would fail. So, when can we open the theater the fastest?”
“Tomorrow is possible, but the day after is better.”
“Then the day after tomorrow…!”
“We’ve already made flyers. We just need to write the date. I’m not sure how much publicity one day will get, though.”
“Great!”
“We’ll put them in our dress shop and distribute them around town.”
“I’ll hand them out in the park too!”
“You’ll do it yourself, Miss?”
“I’ve run a business myself; why wouldn’t I hand out flyers?”
The troupe and I quickly wrote the date on the flyers. With many of us, it didn’t take long.
“I’ll go distribute them.”
“We’ll do another round.”
It reminded me of preparing for a comeback in my past life. Even with only two days left, we needed to communicate with fans, like releasing teasers and preparing a showcase. We wanted to win them over.
“Practice is good, but let’s go distribute now. And everyone, come for the sales tomorrow.”
“The flyers, sure, but sales too?”
“Remember the last time we sold together? The reactions were great.”
John, who had sold with us before, nodded energetically.
“Let’s do makeup too!”
“Sure! It’ll be quick!”
The troupe was fast; in under ten minutes, everyone finished makeup. Holding a bundle of flyers each, we stepped outside. No matter what Katia brought, showing a great play first would nullify her schemes.
“I am a prince from a distant ancient land. Will you come see the story that unfolds the day after tomorrow?”
Alex skillfully embodied the character while handing out flyers. A passing woman’s eyes widened in surprise.
“I’ll definitely come! Tomorrow? Really?”
“The day after tomorrow. If you want, it could be tomorrow, but unfortunately…”
“Ahhh! I’ll go! I’ll go! Definitely!”
Makeup was worth it. Anna, amidst the crowd, seemed to captivate many at once.
“Sister! Is that you? I don’t know, but I’ll come tomorrow!”
“I’ve been to the performance before!”
I felt proud. I too handed flyers to people on the streets.
“Forest Troupe! Tomorrow and the day after! Theater reopens!”
“Ah, it’s been closed for a while, hasn’t it? What happened?”
“Just regular maintenance!”
“Ah, I wondered when I heard it was closing.”
“Absolutely not! Please come watch!”
Everywhere we went, similar comments followed. People thought the Forest Troupe was closing or that their plays deceived audiences. Without the internet, distributing newsletters was crucial.
“Forest Troupe! Tomorrow and the day after! Doors open! Please come!”
We couldn’t pay for articles like Katia, nor could we rely on the press to represent us. Without the internet, we couldn’t reach millions at once. But as a member of the Forest Troupe, I had a duty to convey our sincerity to the audience.
So I loudly shouted for people to come to the theater while handing out flyers. It might be a foolish hope, but perhaps the desire to give something good would reach them.
