NOVPUBMore than ten minutes later.
Inside the curtain of the main stage at Brielda Opera House.
The space was dimly lit, corners piled with backup props and decorations, lit only by the faint glow of a few small lamps.
On the fireproof carpeted ground, several workers in beige work clothes were scurrying back and forth.
As the lingering sounds from the front of the house began to fade, the workers confirmed the stage readiness via short-range communication devices, then nodded at the actors.
In an instant, the orchestra struck up the overture, the music gradually filtering through the curtain and a beam of light illuminating the edge of the curtain and the steps.
Even backstage, one could hear the sounds from the stage.
"Lanci, Lanci, what do we do?"
At this moment, dressed to the nines for their roles as the lead actors, Lanci and Talia ignored the bustling crowd and were engrossed in flipping through the script.
If they could be of help to Abigail.
Perhaps her favorability would get very high, whether it was for negotiating alone with her or for subsequent affairs, half the battle would be won.
But now they both realized how difficult this hastily accepted challenge was.
"Just memorize as much as we can; luckily, we’ve read the original work, and this adaptation is just one of the chapters."
Lanci responded without lifting his head, his thoughts focused.
Although the performance had already begun.
Their scene had not come up yet.
The story took place during the Era of the Holy War in the Protoss Empire.
First, some historical background had to be addressed.
The "Grey Princess" chapter was set before the war had ignited, and Emperor Franklin was far from his rise to power and had not shaped the present world.
At that time, the Protoss Empire had relations with the Demon World, and since the Protoss Empire was relatively backward, the Demon World was highly developed, granting every member of the Demon Race a revered status within the Protoss Empire.
The story’s heroine was a human girl, while the male lead was a Demon Race Governor sent to guide and develop the planning of this province.
The heroine, Cinderella, was originally the jewel in the palm of a noble family of the Protoss Empire; after her father’s death, she was treated as a servant by her stepmother and stepsister, tormented in every possible way.
Despite the hardships, she maintained a kind and optimistic heart.
One day, the Governor held a grand banquet, inviting local nobles of the province to discuss future development plans.
Cinderella had the qualifications to attend, but her stepmother and stepsister mocked her, forbidding her from going, and assigned her all the household chores, leaving Cinderella to weep in a corner.
Then, a kind Love God cat appeared.
It was the most magical kitty in the world, turning a card into a splendid carriage, pigeons into coachmen and servants, giving Cinderella a set of clothes and a pair of Magic Shoes, enabling her to attend the banquet.
However, Cinderella had to return before the clock struck midnight, or else the magic would dissipate.
At the banquet, Cinderella and the Governor met, initially the Demon Race Governor thought this breathtakingly beautiful human female was nothing but an empty-headed fool, whom he wanted to ridicule for sport. But in the end, he was outwitted by the clever Cinderella, and the Governor unexpectedly found the grey-haired girl to be a talented lady, with whom he quite unwittingly enjoyed profound conversation.
The clock struck midnight, and Cinderella almost forgot; she hurriedly fled, accidentally leaving behind a Magic Shoe. The Governor was beside himself, all he could find was this Magic Shoe. But it was so heavy that no woman could walk in it.
The increasingly smitten Governor decided to search for the shoe’s owner throughout the entire province.
One clear morning, the stepmother locked Cinderella in the attic, and the stepsister tried the Magic Shoe but could not walk in it.
With the help of the Love God cat, Cinderella appeared before the Governor and easily slipped on the Magic Shoe.
Then, she was taken back to the Governor’s Mansion by the Governor, leading up to that final scene where the Governor confesses his deep affection for Cinderella.
The story strictly adhered to the historical context.
Since ancient Protoss Empire had learned much from the Demon World and after being defeated in wars years later was governed and constructed by the Demon Race, its lands retained many relics of the Demon World, as seen in the indelible Demon World aura in the construction of the Imperial Capital Herram.
The Protoss people were unable to forgive the Demon Race and yet could not separate their traces from their own, as if entangled in an eternal predicament.
But that was a story for another time.
At the start of "Holy War Romance," before the flames of war flew, the Demon Race and the Protoss people were still on friendly terms.
Only that if a human and a member of the Demon Race carelessly fell in love, their future would inevitably be one fraught with ice and thorns...
"I understand the plot, but how am I supposed to act it out!"
Talia kept looking at the time; no matter her little talent bestowed by the Great Love Poet, even after fully assimilating his skills, between the dress rehearsal and the actual performance, she felt there was little hope to get it right on the first try.
The only piece of good news was that to ensure the smoothness of the performance, the heroine would be portrayed by two actors.
During the opening part, the early phase, the unglamorous Cinderella, covered in soot and dirt, would be portrayed by another actor. The subsequent scenes requiring interaction with the Governor, the beautifully dressed Grey Princess, would be entirely performed by Talia.
So now, Talia had the last little bit of time to prepare backstage.
"This script is really hard to memorize."
Lanci also rubbed his head in frustration.
Though he had generally read the original "Holy War Romance," he was a reader, after all, and couldn’t possibly remember all the lines after one read.
If anything, he could probably recite by heart only the "confession" scene at the end of the Grey Princess chapter.
