You’re right, Flora. With the cutest, purest heroine by my side and everyone doing so well, the villainess messing up will only add spice to the show.
“Thank you, Lady Flora. You’re right. Everything will work out.” I hugged her back, and the trembling finally stopped.
The stage crew signaled they were all set. I nodded, left Flora’s embrace, and stepped onto the stage.
Spectators hurried into the auditorium one after the other. By now, the large room was so packed that people had to stand along the walls.
“This way!”
The refreshment booth had been a success, and Mikhail had been so busy cooking that he’d only just arrived. His sharp-eyed attendant, Lucas, spotted him instantly and waved. He’d secured seats in advance for his prince.
Lucas intended to watch the play as well. He’d already been seated some time, with an empty chair beside him. Despite the crowd, no one dared claim it or even ask for it. His palace servant’s uniform made it obvious who that extra seat was reserved for.
As soon as people realized Mikhail was present, they moved to let him through.
“Thank you, Lucas,” Mikhail said. “You’re watching too?”
“I must protect you, so naturally. Though, to be honest, I’m quite interested in Lady Yulnova’s play. Let us say my job comes with perks,” Lucas replied with a satisfied smile, his narrow eyes glinting. “His Grace and his retainers have also come.”
Mikhail followed his gaze and quickly found Alexei and his advisors. They were all sitting side by side, rather close to Mikhail and Lucas. Ivan, Alexei’s attendant, had clearly secured their places just as Lucas had for him.
Ivan whispered something to Alexei, who turned and gave Mikhail a polite nod. Mikhail returned the courtesy. The fact that Alexei hadn’t noticed him until Ivan spoke showed how distracted he was.
Worried about Ekaterina, Mikhail surmised.
Ivan shot Lucas a sharp glare, and Mikhail forced a smile. The Yulnova attendant still distrusted Lucas, perhaps because Mikhail had once asked him to buy time so he could speak privately with Ekaterina in the duchy. Or maybe it was simpler: Ivan’s monster blood clashed with Lucas’s fox monster blood. Mikhail didn’t know Ivan’s heritage, but judging by his loyalty and combat prowess, he probably had demonic wolves among his ancestors.
“The room is packed,” Lucas said. “Lady Ekaterina is even more popular than I thought.”
“She certainly is. And it would have been even fuller if she were in the play.”
Among the students, Ekaterina’s class had garnered the most attention before the festival. And though few outside the academy knew her personally, she was the talk of high society. The state of the auditorium made perfect sense.
The House of Selesnoa, long hostile toward the three grand ducal houses, had suddenly submitted to the House of Yulnova, shaking the capital’s politics. No one knew the details, but many connected it to the two youths summoned by the God of Music instead of Lydia—both backed by Ekaterina.
Discovering and nurturing talent was a great virtue for a noble, and the success of one’s protégés reflected on their patron. Ekaterina, at fifteen, had already picked out not one but two geniuses worthy of divine summons. After her Celestial Blue dresses and her glass pens, music had become the hot topic surrounding the mysterious young lady everyone wanted to meet.
The festival was the perfect occasion to glimpse her, or at least watch a play she’d written. On top of that, many nobles considered her the likeliest contender to become Mikhail’s bride. Some had come in an early attempt to curry favor with the “future empress.”
Neither Mikhail nor his parents had encouraged such thinking. Gossip about his future wife was constant among the nobility, and rumors—true and false—circulated all the time. Controlling that was almost impossible, as was swaying people’s opinions on the matter.
Besides, Mikhail didn’t need to influence public opinion for people to see the obvious. He would have hidden his affection better if he could, but he didn’t want Ekaterina to look at him like a horrid insect anymore. He’d managed to upgrade from caterpillar to friend, but she never seemed to view him as anything more. She certainly never noticed his feelings. The stark contrast between high society’s excitement over their match and her obliviousness disheartened him.
“I’ve noticed quite a few prominent nobles with no family members at the academy here,” Lucas said. “His Grace, the Duke of Yulmagna, is also in attendance.”
“Magna is?!” Mikhail’s voice came out harsher than intended.
Before he could ask more, a stir ran through the auditorium. The curtains were still down, but a young woman walked out from the wings.
Her back was straight, her gait graceful and dignified. Long indigo-blue hair framed skin so fair it seemed translucent. She slowly moved to the center of the stage. Her profile was so beautiful and mature that no one would have guessed she was a student, save for her uniform.
It was Ekaterina.
Whispers and gasps rippled as the students who knew her informed their family members that this was the Ekaterina Yulnova.
Ekaterina? Why would you...?
Mikhail, busy in the kitchen all morning, had no idea that the God of Music had descended or that Olga was gone. Others might have guessed, but it was a complete mystery to him why Ekaterina was there.
She turned to the audience, smiling, and curtsied elegantly.
“Welcome, everyone. My name is Ekaterina Yulnova, and on behalf of our class, I thank you for coming to watch our play.”
Whispers echoed once again. This was the young woman they’d hoped to lay eyes on, now standing center stage.
Unfazed, Ekaterina continued warmly, her voice carrying to every corner of the auditorium. “Before the play begins, I have the pleasure of sharing some wonderful news with you. Our class’s talented songstress, Lady Olga Florus, has been summoned by the God of Music for the second time this morning. As we speak, she sings in his garden with his beloved children. Alas, this means Lady Florus will not be part of our musical today. I’m sure you were eager to hear her masterful voice, so allow me to apologize.”
Ekaterina bowed, elegant and sincere, then raised her head again. “Thanks to the God of Music’s benevolence, our genius musician, Lord Renato Selesar, remains with us and will perform today for your pleasure. In addition, the role Lord Florus was meant to play will be assumed by...” She placed a hand to her chest. “Yours truly.”
This time, the audience was even louder, their voices closer to cheers. Everyone had thought it was a shame Ekaterina wouldn’t perform, and she’d just announced she would.
“Of course, I could never compare to our great songstress, but I promise to do my utmost to give a satisfying performance. I hope you’ll enjoy it.”
Mikhail’s fists clenched. He was worried for her. She was clever and mature, but also innocent, far too kind, and ignorant to the ways of the world. Despite her looks, she was just a young girl—one Mikhail couldn’t bring himself to leave alone. Even if she hid it well, she must’ve been nervous, having to appear in the play at the last minute.
And if he was panicking, Alexei must have been worse. Mikhail glanced at the duke. Sure enough, his advisors were struggling to keep him in his seat.
Ekaterina’s clear voice rang out again, reclaiming Mikhail’s attention. “Please enjoy the show.”
She bowed once more, polite and dignified as always. She looked so good on the stage that Mikhail almost felt as though the show had already begun.
Behind her, the curtain started rising. Ekaterina slowly disappeared into the wings to thunderous applause.
I’m doing a wonderful job, aren’t I? A wonderful job...of panicking!
I was changing in a hurry, brimming with confidence in the strangest things. Backstage changing was risky, especially for a villainess with a voluptuous figure like mine. Thankfully, the sewing team was holding up large sheets of fabric to shield me from straying eyes. If they dropped the fabric, Alexei would probably gouge out the eyes of any unlucky onlookers.
Ugh. I’m grateful they’re doing so well at hiding me.
Still, the fabric blockade was in everyone’s way, so I had to hurry. However, I didn’t actually have much to do because Mina was dressing me with blistering efficiency. She shouldn’t have been here, technically, but when I’d returned backstage after my little speech, she’d been waiting with her usual blank face and my costume. I was too rushed to question her help.
Once she was nearly finished, I managed to say, “Thank you for helping me change so quickly, Mina. But what are you doing here?”
“Dressing you is my job, my lady,” she responded flatly.
Servants were forbidden at the academy except for those of the imperial princes, princesses, and members of the grand ducal houses. I had no idea that Ivan and Lucas were also in the auditorium.
Keeping Mina here flaunts my status in my classmates’ faces, doesn’t it? Should I ask her to leave? But things are so hectic right now! Maybe it’s okay if she stays, just this once?
My brain was overheating, so I decided that desperate times called for desperate measures and gave up worrying. Mina could stay.
Suddenly, loud voices rose from the auditorium. They were cries of surprise and delight, so it didn’t sound like anything had gone wrong. I paused, trying to figure out what scene was happening right now. I smiled to myself when I figured it out.
Good for you, Yuri.
The timing matched Yuri’s first display of light mana, during the fight between the water demon trying to drive away the saint and Marina’s Goku. He made their weapons gleam, scattering flashes of light with every blow. Drums mimicked the clash of steel as if to confirm I was right.