Chapter Eight: The Founding Festival
THE first day of the Founding Festival arrived. Both the morning sky and my mood were as bright as could be. Custode and Squishy were in high spirits as well. All my friends and I—save for Embert and Janus—changed into clothes that would blend into the crowd before we left the castle.
We found the city even more boisterous than it had been a few days ago. Beautiful flowers and ribbons decorated the streets. This lovely sight made me grateful to be in Bragioga all over again. Apart from the numerous food stalls, we also spotted street performers here and there. Likewise, plays were being performed in the city square.
“Let’s check out the food stalls first,” Oreste suggested.
When everyone agreed, we hunted for the most appetizing food stalls. Oreste and Lauris bought one treat after another, ordering for Custode as well. All three of them tossed their treats into my spatial storage until it was full to bursting.
“That really is a handy spell,” Oreste noted.
Spongers, I grumbled inwardly, tossing my own treats into storage.
After stocking up on food, we stopped to view some street performers. A little later, we headed towards the square, as Cita and Cia wanted to see a certain play. Apparently, there would be multiple performances throughout the day, each by a different troupe.
Cita’s hazelnut eyes sparkled. “The next play is supposed to be a romance.”
While Oreste’s moony expression gave me the ick, we sat down and waited. Yet, no matter how much time passed, the play showed no signs of starting. What’s more, some sort of commotion seemed to be taking place backstage.
“I’ll go see what’s happening,” Severin said before heading towards the stage. Before long, he returned with an explanation. “Apparently, they can’t start because the actress playing the heroine hasn’t arrived.”
Yeah, you obviously can’t have a romance without the heroine.
“Is the play canceled then?” Cita asked, her face falling.
Julietta looked disappointed as well.
“The troupe is still deciding whether to cancel,” Severin answered.
Two troupe members appeared from backstage and scanned the crowd. They seemed to be looking for someone. Eventually, one of them pointed in our direction.
“Excuse me!” he cried.
However, both troupe members froze while looking at us. What the heck was going on? The other audience members stared at us well. Finally, the troupe members woke from their reveries and came to stand in front of me.
“Pardon me, but would you please perform in our play?!” one of them exclaimed.
“…Come again?” I asked.
Question marks popped up above all our heads.
Why me? Because I have Custode and Squishy? Do they want me to put on some sort of sideshow instead of a play?
As my mind raced, the other man bowed his head and explained. “I apologize for asking this out of the blue, but would you play the heroine? Honestly, I first considered asking your friend—the young man who checked in on us—to dress up as a woman.”
All eyes turned to Severin.
“Really?” he asked. “I wouldn’t mind.”
Everyone’s faces twitched ever so slightly.
“Well, you would look nice in women’s clothes,” Cia said while regarding Severin.
Cita and Julie nodded in agreement. Yeah, he probably could pull off drag well. Despite the approval from us girls, Lauris and Oreste stared at Severin with confused expressions.
Noting the pause in our conversation, the troupe member cleared his throat. “Young lady,” he said to me. “While your friend is quite beautiful, I knew you were perfect for the role the moment I saw you. Would you please play the heroine? You don’t need to worry about the lines since we can prompt you from backstage. We’ve worked so hard for today. I would hate to give up without even trying!”
To my surprise, the first response to this enthusiastic offer came from Rosario.
“Do you mind helping them out, Ally?” he asked.
“I would love for you to do it as well,” Cita agreed. “I was really looking forward to this play. I’m sure it’ll be wonderful with you as the heroine.”
Julietta nodded in agreement.
“I want to see you act, too,” Cia chimed in.
Well, that’s Rosario and all the girls. What kind of woman would I be to refuse?
“All right, I’ll do it,” I said.
As the troupe members cheered, a magic circle appeared behind the last row of seats. Then, Embert appeared in a flash of light.
“I won’t allow another man to touch Ally,” he declared.
“A-Are you kidding me?” I stammered.
How had Embert known what was happening?
He’s not using some sort of eavesdropping spell now, right? I wondered, my eyes widening.
Severin chuckled sheepishly. “Sorry, Ally,” he said while holding out his smartphone. “Embert asked us to contact him as soon as you got up to no good.”
“Filthy spy,” I grumbled.
Why am I being treated like a loose cannon? I wondered with a huff.
After making his way to me, Embert placed a hand on my cheek. “Forgive me, Ally. I wanted to come to your rescue in case of an emergency or if any miscreants approached you. That’s why I asked Severin to keep an eye on you.”
I pursed my lips in dissatisfaction. “Is me performing in a play an emergency?”
Embert caressed my cheek, his apologetic expression changing into a sinister smile. “Of course. You’re playing the heroine, correct? You think I would allow an unfamiliar man to touch you?”
The two troupe members shivered beneath Embert’s frigid aura. Nevertheless, one of them mustered the courage to speak.
“Um, is this man your significant other, by any chance?” he asked. “Would it be possible for him to play the opposite role?”
“Wouldn’t that inconvenience the original actor?” Rosario asked.
The troupe member shook his head. “No, not at all! Truth be told, I was going to play that role, but… how should I put this? You two would look amazing on stage together. I’m sure our audience would be delighted as well. So, how about it? I’ll prompt the lines from backstage, of course.”
We were already attracting looks from our surroundings. Plus, the women were practically swooning over Embert.
“What do you think, Ally?” Embert asked with a chuckle.
His smile had transformed from sinister to eager. Based on that expression, there was no stopping him now. Julietta and the twins looked just as thrilled. While Lauris heaved a deep sigh, the other boys seemed equally excited.
“Yeah, why not?” I responded, standing up and clenching my fist.
Embert grinned at me. “Let’s do our best.”
We changed into stage costumes under the direction of the two troupe members. While I wore the outfit of a common girl, Embert dressed up like a nobleman. Before going on stage, we sat down to read the play. The story began with a passing nobleman rescuing a common girl from street thugs. Naturally, that sparked a romance between them. Alas, their different social classes stood in the way of their relationship. What’s more, the nobleman already had a fiancée. Despite the odds, the two characters triumphed over fate and were united in love. It was a tale as old as time. That said…
“Feeling moved?” Embert asked.
I sniffled while reading the script. Embert and my past self from Earth would never have ended up together. When that thought hit me, I couldn’t help but empathize with the characters.
“Can you blame me?” I responded. “If I’d met you as my past self, we never would’ve ended up together. I—”
Before I could finish speaking, Embert threw his arms around me. “Ally,” he said. “Even if you were a commoner, I would abandon my current position to be with you. How could I do anything else? I’ve loved you for so long, after all.”
“Em…” I sobbed.
After wiping away my tears, Embert whispered in my ear. “You might want to calm down, lest those adorable ears pop out again.”
I stiffened. Sprouting animal ears now would cause a huge commotion. Nodding, I took a deep breath to calm my nerves.
✦ ✦ ✦
🦊 🦊 🦊
“LOOKS like we brought the house down,” Embert said.
During the curtain call, we received thunderous cheers and a standing ovation. It was enough to shake the entire venue. While women cried the name of Embert’s character, men shouted the name of mine. Afterward, the troupe thanked us profusely.
“You’re welcome to join us any time,” one of the members offered before we parted.
“That was wonderful,” Cita said. “I haven’t blubbered like that in a long time.”
While Cita’s eyes and nose were red, Julietta was still crying. Oreste and Lauris were consoling each one respectively.
Cia, whose nose was similarly red, threw her arms around me. “Your pained expressions broke my heart, Ally.”
What could I say? My performance had turned out well thanks to my empathy for the heroine.
Severin laughed. “The crowd went wild when Embert gave you that passionate kiss.”
Hey, that was no laughing matter for me. I was terrified of my fennec ears popping out again. Thankfully, I had the thought of our stored meat skewers and sausages to distract me.
Embert wore a composed expression, not at all concerned with my struggles. “That kiss wasn’t even close to what I consider passionate,” he said with a hearty laugh. “I had to restrain myself in front of an audience.”
Apparently, the original leading actress had overslept. After the performance, she’d joined the other actress—who’d played the rival fiancée—backstage. Both women had tried to seduce Embert, which I hadn’t told my friends. If anyone asked how he’d turned them down, I would have to describe the kiss he’d given me backstage. That one was going to my grave.
“Shall we head back soon?” Embert asked. A moment later, however, his smartphone rang. After a brief conversation with Janus, he grinned and said, “Looks like I’m needed at work.”
Thus, he and Severin returned to the castle. The rest of us continued to explore the city at a relaxed pace before returning as well.