Chapter 40 : Play Rehearsal

A few days after the auditions ended, the cast gathered to begin rehearsals.

Although they were students of Arcana with no connection to acting, rehearsal was essential for a play to be performed at the festival.

After finishing our afternoon classes, we decided to practice in the school auditorium.

“Since everyone seems to be here, let’s get started right away. First, take a script and review your lines,”

Serena said.

She distributed the scripts to the participants.

Although Serena wasn’t appearing in the play due to her lack of acting talent, she had a role in overseeing the production and made a brief appearance to manage things.

Each person flipped through the script, searching for their lines.

I reviewed mine as well.

I, too, was cast in this play, taking on the role of the protagonist Kalian’s friend.

The real reason I joined was to keep an eye on Elia—who knows what schemes she might try during the rehearsal process? I couldn’t let her cause trouble.

Landing a role wasn’t difficult.

Beyond my connection with Serena, I passed the audition fair and square.

“This is kind of nerve-wracking… don’t you think?” Lumia approached me cautiously.

“It’s just a rehearsal. What’s there to be nervous about?”

“Still, everyone’s getting serious. Thinking about preparing for the play seriously from now on makes me a bit tense.”

“Don’t worry and just relax.”

By the way, Lumia also landed a role.

It wouldn’t make sense for the play’s leading heroine not to participate, especially when it was a rare opportunity for her to spend time with Kalian.

I pulled a few strings to ensure she got a role, and fortunately, I succeeded.

Her part was as a “timid maid,” so acting shouldn’t be too difficult for her.

“Wade, do you think I’ll do well?”

“Of course. No one could do better than you.”

“Hehe, thank you…”

“Sure.”

I reassured the anxious Lumia.

“Even though I’m not the leading lady, I got a pretty decent role,” Evelyn said.

Like Lumia, Evelyn was another cast member I pushed into the play.

Although she’s technically an antagonist heroine, she’s an ally in my current plan, so keeping her close was the right choice.

“Hohoho, playing the role of your knight… how intriguing. Isn’t this what you’d call destiny?”

“No, that role was made up on the spot.”

“A knight who risks her life to protect her beloved… how touching. I’ve heard there are many nobles who fall in love with their knights.”

“That’s not in the script.”

“Scripts can always be changed,” she said, ignoring my words and indulging in her imagination.

With a flourish, she drew her sword and made a solemn pledge with a noble posture.

“I, Evelyn, as your knight, swear to dedicate my life to protecting you.”

“The rehearsal hasn’t started yet, so calm down.”

As I urged Evelyn to put her sword away, Lumia tugged on my arm.

She had tied her school jacket around her waist like a skirt, held it delicately, and bowed gracefully.

“Master, your maid Lumia is here. Please command me with anything you need.”

“You calm down too.”

“Shall I prepare a meal or warm your bathwater? Please, allow your humble servant to serve you.”

“Stop making up weird lines.”

Evelyn and Lumia competed for my attention, each performing improvised scenes to outdo the other.

The two stared at each other, their gazes colliding in the air.

They weren’t saying a word, yet it felt as though sparks were flying between them.

Ah… this kind of event should be happening to Kalian, not me.

The rehearsal officially began under Louis’s guidance, the most experienced among us.

Although he had precise and detailed knowledge about acting, he didn’t exactly share it with us.

Instead, he believed, “Acting is best learned by doing,” and had the participants perform impromptu scenes.

Surprisingly, the practice went smoothly.

Most of those present were nobles, familiar with theater culture, which helped a lot.

Everyone who passed the audition at least had the basics down.

“Y-y-your lordship… h-h-h-here is a l-l-letter…”

To my relief, Lumia performed well.

She had been assigned the role of a timid maid, and the moment she stepped onto the stage, she displayed a miraculous method acting that left Louis astonished.

Of course, I knew it wasn’t acting—she was just naturally that nervous—but as long as the result was good, it didn’t matter.

The one with a slight issue was Evelyn.

“You wretched scoundrel! How dare you show such disrespect to our beloved young master?!”

Evelyn played the role of my bodyguard knight, but in a scene where she was supposed to argue with a street thug, she grabbed the actor playing the thug by the collar and lifted him off the ground.

Even though her opponent was an Arcana student and a fairly skilled knight, he could only dangle helplessly, overwhelmed by the sheer difference in strength.

“It’s okay, let him go.”

“But, young master… this man has insulted you.”

“I understand your passion, but we don’t have time to deal with lowly thugs here. Let’s go.”

“If you insist… very well.”

Louis was flustered by her overly committed yet oddly twisted performance, but I managed to smooth over the situation.

We decided to go with the setup that Evelyn’s character was just a bit overly passionate as a bodyguard.

Finally, it was time for Kalian and Elia’s scene.

The male and female leads, unaware they were enemies, had to act out a sweet romantic scene.

Kalian was visibly nervous even before starting.

“What should I do…?”

“It’s fine. You’re pretty good at acting.”

“That’s not the problem. There’s a scene where I have to hold Elia’s hand and… uh, hug her.”

“Well, yeah, that’s part of it.”

Kalian’s acting was natural, but that didn’t mean his fear of women had disappeared.

“I already discussed it with Louis, but it doesn’t seem like he has any intention of changing the script.”

“…ot.”

“Just give it a try. The more you experience this, the better your phobia will get. Don’t worry, I’ll be right here watching.”

“Got it.”

Realizing the script wouldn’t be altered, he sighed but had no choice but to proceed with the scene.

Elia, on the other hand… Though she outwardly appeared nervous as the female lead, I wasn’t fooled.

She was undoubtedly looking forward to this. Holding hands with Kalian… hugging him…

This was an unprecedented opportunity.

I had blocked every other girl from getting close to Kalian, so no one had ever managed to have physical contact with him.

Now, she had the chance to claim that forbidden fruit.

The eyes of the other cast members, especially the women, fixated on Kalian and Elia.

They gnashed their teeth in envy or bit their handkerchiefs.

Some even shed tears, their eyes bloodshot with frustration.

“To think she’d get to hold hands with him before I, a mere bronze member, could… If I’d known, I would’ve practiced acting sooner…!”

Even Serena, quietly watching, trembled with frustration.

Everyone in the room was focused on how Kalian and Elia would handle their physical interactions.

The only one genuinely interested in the play was Louis.

The performance began.

“Your hair is as smooth as silk, and your eyes are as beautiful as the night sky. Surely, our meeting must be a gift from the gods.”

Despite his earlier whining, Kalian started acting naturally.

Elia wasn’t far behind, delivering her lines with an intense romantic aura.

Comparing their abilities, Elia was undoubtedly the superior actor.

Still, her skill elevated the performance, compensating for any areas where Kalian fell short.

Not that anyone but Louis was pleased with the situation.

Watching the two work together left a sour taste in my mouth.

If this weren’t a play Serena was managing, I would’ve shut it down on the spot.

Finally, after several lines, that moment came.

“I like you.”

Kalian took Elia’s hand.

Rather than gripping it tightly, he barely held it, as if mimicking the motion.

Perhaps he found physical contact with women terrifying, or maybe the script didn’t specify how to hold hands—either way, it was a clever move.

But Elia clasped his hand firmly, like a spider ensnaring its prey.

“I feel the same. No… I love you even more.”

And then, she pulled Kalian into an embrace.

This is driving me insane.

Kalian, the guy who flinches even when his shoulder brushes against a girl, is probably screaming internally right now.

Sighs of disbelief echoed around us.

“Wait, did they… actually hug for real?”

“No way! She really went through with it.”

“Why am I stuck just watching this? It’s so frustrating!”

The female cast members openly voiced their envy and disdain without bothering to mask their emotions.

Their intense glares at Elia made it seem like they might attack her any second.

Honestly, seeing this, I felt it was probably a blessing that Lumia didn’t make it to this scene.

Kalian grabbed Elia’s arm—a clear sign for her to stop hugging him.

But Elia paid no mind, instead burrowing deeper into his embrace.

“Just a little longer… just a little more…”

She didn’t release her arms, which had wrapped around him like spiderwebs.

She’s blatantly indulging her personal desires now.

This was supposed to be the final moment of the scene, yet Louis didn’t intervene to stop them—well,

Elia specifically—for quite some time.

When the practice finally ended, Louis gave feedback on everyone’s weaknesses and advised us to improve before the next rehearsal.

Then he left.

The remaining cast members exchanged polite farewells, dispersing to their homes or dormitories.

Of course, the girls wanted to linger with Kalian a bit longer, but I didn’t let that happen.

“That was brutal…”

After sending Serena and Lumia off, Kalian sighed and lightly punched my shoulder.

“Good work out there.”

He continued, “I just came back from the bathroom, and my stomach hurts again. I knew it—I shouldn’t have agreed to this play. What made you suddenly suggest something like this?”

“Why else? It’s to help cure your fear of women. That’s the whole reason I enrolled in this school. Hang in there a little longer.”

“Do you really think this will work?”

“Of course it will. You’re improving, aren’t you…? You are improving, right?”

“I don’t know…”

You are. You have to be.

As we were leaving the auditorium and walking outside, Elia came running toward us.

Kalian’s breathing hitched.

Remembering the earlier incident, his expression stiffened slightly, though he forced a smile.

“What is it, Elia?” I asked.

“Oh, I just wanted to thank you both. And I brought this to give you…”

She handed over a small box.

It was a cake.

Had she been inspired by Lumia’s cake-gifting habit?

Or was it just a coincidence?

Either way, Kalian was at his limit today.

He couldn’t handle any more interactions with girls, so I stepped in.

“Ah, sorry. We appreciate the thought, but we can’t accept it.”

“Huh? Don’t you both like cake? Lumia said so…”

“There must have been a misunderstanding. Kalian doesn’t like cake. He has a condition where eating cream makes him feel sick.”

“But I saw him enjoying it before…”

Elia muttered softly and opened the box, revealing a cute cat-shaped cake with elegant decorations that suggested it was quite expensive.

“I picked something delicious and pretty.”

“I just told you he doesn’t like cake, didn’t I?”

“But… we’re doing a play together. So… could you please accept this gift? If you don’t like it after tasting it, you can throw it away.”

This girl is starting to cross the line just because I’ve been a little lenient with her lately.

Time to set some boundaries.

“Do I need to spell it out for you?”

I slapped the cake out of her hands.

Splat!

The cat-shaped cake hit the ground, breaking into an unsightly mess.

Elia froze, her face paling as she stared at the ruined cake.

“Next time, think before you act,” I said coldly, walking away with Kalian.

Today’s rehearsal wasn’t just about acting—it was a battle of wills.

And I had no intention of losing.