https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-875-Lance-and-Huberian-s-Recap-After-Two-Years-Part-2-/12937182/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-876-Lance-and-Huberian-s-Opera-Rehearsal-Part-2-/12937184/
Chapter 876: Lance and Huberian's Opera Rehearsal (Part 1)
Chapter 876: Lance and Huberian's Opera Rehearsal (Part 1)
Mid-January.
Ikerite Opera House.
Located near the northern border of the city-state, along the Yara Defense Moat and the south bank of the Riverport Bridge, the Ikerite Opera House serves as a multi-functional performing arts center in the King's Capital of Hutton. It is one of the most renowned and iconic architectural landmarks in the southern continent.
Designed by the master craftsman Jera a hundred years ago, the opera house features a series of starry ribbon roof structures resembling the sails of a ship, perched atop a massive blue granite pedestal, as if ready to set sail in the starry sky.
On a weekday afternoon.
The Brillida Drama Troupe is rehearsing inside.
"Why are you sitting in my room, Miss Demihuman?"
The male lead, dressed as a Demon Governor, asks the female lead sitting in a chair on the other side of the stage.
The scene is set in a noble's bedroom, with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, illuminating the entire room. A dark red velvet sofa and chair are placed by the fireplace, where the crackling firewood provides a cozy warmth, even without the audience seeing the snowy landscape outside.
"Because I'm your fiancee, of course."
The Demihuman noblewoman sits in an antique sheepskin chair, and the curtains behind her are drawn, allowing only a faint glow to penetrate the room through the fine, deep red mesh curtains.
She looks both like a debt collector and a well-mannered lady, speaking softly to the Demon Governor.
"What do I have to do for you to stop bothering me?"
The Demon Governor helplessly raises his hand to cover his forehead. Earlier, he had knocked on the door, hoping the butler would come and escort the lady back to her room, but even the butler couldn't persuade her to leave. So, he had no choice but to stay and talk to her.
"..."
The Demihuman lady stares at the Demon Governor, and a hint of sadness and self-blame flashes in her eyes.
But it's not as simple as just nodding and giving up now.
They used to be so close, but now he seems to have forgotten her as if he had lost his memory.
Finally, she stands up, compromising, and gazes at the governor.
"I hope you can solve the puzzle and find out who cursed you, causing you to keep forgetting me."
A brass floor lamp stands beside her, and she continues,
"When that happens, even if you still can't remember me, I'll convince my family to release you from this engagement."
The lampshade is adorned with drawings of fairies symbolizing good luck, chasing each other as if dancing along with the light and shadows of the two.
The rehearsal continues on stage.
The audience seats are sparsely filled, and Antanas and Sinora reach into the popcorn bucket while watching, whispering to each other.
"They're performing so well."
"It doesn't feel like a farce at all."
Antanas and Sinora have accompanied Huberian to the rehearsal.
"Are you implying that someone else is performing poorly and making it a farce...?"
The Ice Maiden mutters beside them.
She's also on vacation today and decided to watch the rehearsal, or rather, get a preview of the performance to be more composed during her date, avoiding any surprises from the plot.
"..."
Pralane wipes his glasses, which he got after returning to Ikerite, along with a cloth to clean them.
Pralane, the troupe's historical consultant, is also present today.
However, he seems to be sitting comfortably.
Antanas knows from a glance at Pralane that the play is safe, and they can speak freely.
In addition to the five great demons who watched the public screening in Nesterlo City in the Creth Empire, there's another great demon in the audience today.
Their friend Toriadus is currently behind the curtain, working as a musician.
As a member of the troupe, he has also returned to Ikerite, a place he longed to visit but never dared to enter.
Abigail hasn't forgiven Dimensional Bishop for the two million pounds incident, and this time, she won't allow him to wander during the performance and cause any mishaps. So, he has no choice but to obediently conduct the string orchestra and play the piano as needed.
"Toriadus knows how to compose the music better; he can even improvise based on the situation."
Antanas comments on the background music for each scene.
In the Demon Realm, Yabo's musical style would be more carefree, abstract, and even quirky. But when asked to compose for the opera, he can also create heartfelt melodies.
"Seeing him so quiet, I feel a bit distant."
Sinora turns her head, covering her mouth as she speaks.
"When the creditor has power, the debtor becomes their son. See how Tata mentions the debt, and even Lance drops his proud demeanor."
Antanas reveals the truth.
"Yabo may be unreliable in daily life, but he does have a talent for opera performances."
Pralane speaks up for his Demon friend.
Pralane, who has been working with the troupe for some time, knows that Director Abigail is determined to keep Toriadus tied to the theater to prevent a repeat of the last incident when they couldn't find him just before the performance.
"The Dimensional Branch is an old drama troupe, and that's how they gather intelligence."
The Ice Maiden agrees.
The Dimensional Branch itself is a drama troupe, often infiltrating various places and posing as employees of different organizations. During their time in the Demon Realm, General Yabo's subordinates would infiltrate the human realm on missions.
"Have you all read the original 'Holy War Romance'? Should I read it before watching the performance?"
Antanas asks the three great demons beside him.
Five great demons have come to watch this rehearsal, which is not open to the public.
The princess sisters have gone to play at the Golden Bee Amusement Park, following Ifatiya's suggestion to keep some anticipation for the long-awaited performance. So, they didn't come to watch the rehearsal.
Antanas hasn't read the original, but Sinora, Pralane, and Almyis probably have.
"It doesn't matter if you've read the original or not. Abigail's adaptation will have its twists, and that's why the audience accepted the Gray Princess episode. They expected differences from the original, and thankfully, Lance managed to keep the deviations subtle enough to avoid detection."
The Ice Maiden explains, also providing Antanas with a brief introduction to the connection between the Demihuman episode and the Gray Princess episode.
The story takes place during the Holy War years of the Protos Empire.
First, let's set the historical context.
The Demihuman episode takes place a few years after the time of the Gray Princess episode. The Holy War has already begun, but historical figures of the Protos Empire, such as Emperor Franklin and Grand Sage Isis, have yet to rise to prominence, and the current northern continent's political landscape is far from established.
Before the Holy War began, the Protos Empire and the Demon Realm had established diplomatic relations, and due to the Demon Realm's advanced development, the Protos Empire was relatively backward. As a result, the demons held a high status in the Protos Empire at that time. For example, the male lead in the Gray Princess arc, who was a demon governor sent to the Protos Empire before the war.
With the start of the Holy War, the human nations of the Northern Continent became enemies with the Demon Realm. The governor knew that returning to the Demon Realm with the Gray Princess would be a dead end for her. His family and the Demon King would not allow him to marry a human woman at such a critical time. To protect the Gray Princess, he decided to accept his family's offer and return to the Demon Realm, leaving behind treasures sufficient to revive his family. He promised the Gray Princess that if the war ended, he would come back.
"This story strictly adheres to the historical context of the time. Since the Protos Empire had learned a lot from the Demon Realm in ancient times, and after its defeat many years later, it was ruled and developed by the demons, the realm retained many demon legacies. This is evident in the construction of the capital city, Helrom, which showcases the indelible influence of the Demon Realm."
Prlane also explained this to Antanas.
Although they were all possibly historical figures from the Northern Continent, Antanas had always remained in the Demon Realm and had not thoroughly understood the culture of human society, so he did not delve into the implications of the Gray Princess arc for the subsequent plot.
Looking back on history from the present, the Protos people could neither forgive the demons nor easily erase their traces, as if entangled in an eternal struggle.
At the beginning of the story of "Holy War Romance," the war had not yet broken out, and the demons and the Protos Empire were still on good terms.
However, if a human and a demon fell in love during that era, their future was destined to be a rocky path filled with snow and thorns. Although the Gray Princess arc had a cheerful tone, the historical background set at the beginning of the story already foreshadowed their tragic fate.
The following is the story of the male lead, the demon governor, after he returned to the Demon Realm.
Since the governor had a highly-regarded half-demon fiancee, his noble family hoped that he would fulfill his marriage contract as soon as possible to dispel the sensitive suspicion of him being too close to humans. At the same time, they could also gain the protection of his fiancee's family.
This led to the opening scene of the Half-Demoness arc, as performed by Lance and Huberian—
"The half-demoness believes that the governor has forgotten her."
The Ice Maiden pointed towards Huberian on stage.
"The governor insists that he has no impression of the half-demoness, and he has no memory of their past together in the Demon Realm."
Her finger then moved towards Lance, who was acting opposite Huberian.
"So, in the original story, the half-demoness suggested that the governor solve this mystery. She suspects that the governor has been cursed by a demon, causing him to repeatedly forget her and disrupt their families' arranged marriage. She promises that as long as the governor can find the one who cast the curse, regardless of whether he remembers her or is willing to marry her, she will agree to stop bothering him."
The Ice Maiden explained to Antanas.
The two demons embarked on an unforgettable and romantic journey.
They adventured in the Demon Realm, investigated clues, and faced life-threatening trials until they finally found and defeated the mastermind behind it all.
In the end, the governor still couldn't remember the half-demoness, but during this journey, he fell in love with her again.
Even though his mind had no memories of her past, his heart couldn't erase the feeling of loving her.
"So, there isn't much difference between this opening and the original?"
Antanas asked quietly.
"Yes, Abigail's adaptation simply omitted a lot of historical context and quickly cut to the scene where the governor and the half-demoness meet in the winter mansion as the opening."
The Ice Maiden nodded.
At this moment, the demon governor on stage had already instructed the butler and was preparing to set off with the half-demoness, and the scene would soon change.
"Hold on."
A voice from the front row of the audience interrupted the ongoing rehearsal.
Abigail signaled a pause, indicating for the actors on stage to stop. She was wearing a black off-shoulder evening gown with well-tailored fabric that hugged her slender figure. She always wore a black gemstone necklace whenever she was at the theater.
No matter the occasion, Abigail always dressed elegantly and maintained her composure while working at the theater.
The actors on stage stopped their dialogue, and both Lance and Huberian looked at Director Abigail in confusion.
They thought they hadn't made any mistakes and were performing with their utmost sincerity.
Abigail shook her head, indicating for them to relax.
"It's not that the performance is bad, just not the effect I expected."
Abigail spoke without blame, addressing the two leads.
"How can we improve?"
Huberian asked sincerely.
She felt that the issue was not with Lance but with herself.
"..."
Abigail remained silent for a while.
She was also thinking about the reason.
After watching Lance and Huberian's performance, Abigail couldn't help but compare it to Lance and Tata's performance. She felt that Lance and Tata's performance was full of accidents and surprisingly captivating.
Abigail pondered and began to suspect that she, who usually had strict requirements, might have fallen for the absurd performance of Lance and Tata.
However, if she asked Lance and Tata to perform again, they might not be able to replicate the effect of the Gray Princess arc.
Although Tata had great acting skills, the reason Abigail chose Huberian instead of Tata was that Tata had a low floor and a high ceiling. Her success was not replicable, while Huberian, while having a high ceiling, could also deliver a stable performance.
Additionally, Abigail did not want to have another stage accident.
"I understand. It's not your problem, but the script and my direction."
After much consideration, Abigail finally found the answer and pointed out the issue to the two of them.
From the Gray Princess arc to the Half-Demoness arc, although the latter maintained the comedic tone of finding joy in adversity during that era, the half-demoness had a sensitive and sentimental personality, unlike the Gray Princess, who was more of a comedic relief.
It's like the same song, when arranged differently, can evoke completely different feelings in the audience.
"Huh?"
Huberian had expected Abigail to criticize her, but after reviewing the performance, Abigail found a different issue.
"Yes, this comedic adaptation isn't the best fit for you."
Abigail spoke with conviction.
The current arrangement didn't bring out Huberian's emotional talent, which was a mix of melancholy and joy.
Wait a minute.
The Gray Princess wasn't initially a comedic character either.
After much thought, Abigail realized that Tata's influence was too strong.
"So, what's next...?"
Lance tentatively asked Abigail.
He wasn't sure if they should continue the rehearsal.
"Take a half-hour break, and I'll prepare something. I'll tell you how to rehearse after that."
Abigail said, allowing the crew on stage to rest while she took the script and headed backstage.
...
The half-hour wait might have felt long for the few media and industry professionals in the audience who had come to watch the rehearsal.
Of course, for the powerful demons, it was a brief moment.
Their most notable trait was their patience.
As Antanas reached out again, grabbing a bag of chips from the side seat and sharing them with the other demons, Abigail returned to the theater.
"Alright, everyone should be well-rested by now."
Abigail walked onto the stage, where Lance and Huberian, along with the other actors, were discussing the new script. Surprisingly, she didn't intend to waste any more time; she wanted them to start the performance immediately.
"But Miss Abigail, where's the complete script?"
Lance, feeling like he was reminded of an unpleasant memory, looked at the concise script in his hand and questioned her.
Abigail had only given him and Huberian the first act's dialogue, and this wasn't a script but mere lines. They only knew their own lines, unaware of the plot development or their co-actors' lines. She had only given them a brief glance at the script before asking them to prepare for the performance.
Even though Lance and Huberian were most familiar with the first act and the changes seemed minor, they still didn't know how to proceed.
"This type of performance was used in ancient plays."
Abigail explained to the two of them.
Knowing only their lines and not the others' was a common practice in early operas, primarily to protect the script. The script was a valuable asset to the troupe, and to prevent leaks, the playwright might only provide actors with their lines, not the full script.
This prevented competitors from stealing the script.
It was also a rehearsal method in ancient times when rehearsals were short. Actors often relied more on the director, who was usually the playwright, for instructions rather than a complete script.
Actors, familiar with standard performance routines, could prepare for the show quickly with their lines.
This method also encouraged improvisation, as some parts of the script might only have a general outline, requiring actors to improvise and fill in the details.
Providing a complete script might limit the actors' creativity.
"Lastly, there were illiterate actors back then. Some actors had low literacy levels and couldn't read a full script."
Abigail explained the history of ancient Cyros plays.
In summary, considering the historical context, directors not providing actors with complete scripts had precedents, and she wasn't trying to make things difficult for them.
"But Abigail, in the new script for the first act, you haven't even written the outline for some parts; there are only half-sentences. How are we supposed to deliver our lines?"
Huberian pointed at the cloze passage in the script and asked Abigail.
She was also nervous, slightly squeezing Lance's palm to calm him down.
"From the second act onwards, there will be a teleprompter to prompt your lines in real-time, but again, only half-sentences. This is where you need to improvise. If you two fully immerse yourselves in the story and become the male and female leads, you'll be able to deduce the new script's development and know what you want to say."
Abigail wanted them to perform beyond their limits.
"In summary, on stage, you need to become the demon governor and the half-maiden miss, unafraid of challenges."
Tata and Lance's performance had given her a good idea.
Last-minute preparation could sometimes powerfully unlock potential, especially for talented performers.
This simulated training could also help Lance and Huberian improve.
"Are the later scenes significantly changed?"
Huberian asked Abigail, wanting to know what to expect.
Abigail hadn't even given them the second, third, or subsequent acts.
In other words, they had almost no knowledge of the new plot and could only see it on the teleprompter in real-time.
To prevent the lead actor from forgetting their lines again, Abigail had specifically developed a new tool, a magic card, that allowed actors to see words in their field of vision, similar to the quest prompts in the Shadow World.
As for the plot, they would have to act and improvise simultaneously, as they could only see the lines on the teleprompter.
"The earlier acts mainly have changes in details and foreshadowing, but the final act is completely different... So, your previous rehearsals won't be entirely applicable to many scenes."
Abigail patted Huberian's shoulder and said,
"But remember, I've rewritten the script, and it won't be the same as the original version you've seen before. So, forget the original half-maiden plot and fully immerse yourself in my new script."
"Wait, adaptation isn't the same as random changes, and dramatization isn't the same as making things up..."
Toriadus, the original author, stood up from behind the curtain, where he had been playing the piano. He had something to say.
But before he could finish, Abigail's intense gaze silenced him, and he sat back down.
"In any case, listening to the director is always a good idea. That piano player doesn't understand 'Holy War Romance' at all."
Abigail was certain she had identified the problem.
A more lighthearted tone wasn't suitable for Lance and Huberian.
Her thinking had been influenced by Tata, causing her to subconsciously consider the impact on the Gray Princess when adapting the Half-Maiden Act.
However, after this revision, she believed the script was tailored to Lance and Huberian's acting styles, allowing them to showcase their unique talents.
"Huberian, don't treat the upcoming performance as a rehearsal, but as the actual show. If you don't perform well, I'll have to ask Tata to replace you."
Abigail decided to put some pressure on the two of them; otherwise, it would be difficult to unlock their potential. Of course, she wouldn't actually do it, and the pressure wasn't just for Huberian.
"Uh."
Huberian didn't have much of a competitive spirit.
But she noticed that Lance, sitting next to her, was already sweating on his forehead.
He seemed to be extremely afraid of performing a play with Tata again.
"Don't worry, I'll do my best."
Huberian reassured Abigail, and also spoke to Lance.
For Lance to avoid trouble, she would do her best to meet Abigail's expectations.
"In that case, I'll give it my all."
Lance flipped through the script, feeling Huberian's presence beside him, and his mood gradually calmed down. He couldn't help but be grateful that this was a rehearsal at the Ekerite Opera House, not a direct performance on stage.
What comforted him the most was that the leading lady he was acting opposite was Huberian.
With the most reliable Huberian by his side, he didn't have to worry about her making mistakes. Instead, she would help him.
"I'll do my best too!"
Huberian clenched her fist and said with determination.
In the distant audience seats, Antanas was leaning back in his chair, munching on chips, his eyes fixed on the performance on stage.
"I'm so looking forward to the opening."
Antanas spoke with his mouth full of chips, the crunching sound making his words barely intelligible.
Tata wasn't there, and it seemed like she had bought too many snacks for the day, more than they could finish.
"It feels even more interesting than the actual premiere, watching their improvisations."
Sinora and the other demons were using their detection magic to listen in on the conversation of the few people on stage, even from a distance.
Last time, the legendary actress Talia's performance was purely improvised, and the effect was extraordinary.
"The show has begun."
The Ice Maiden whispered, reminding them.
She was very concerned about Huberian's performance, and seeing her do so well, she felt like a proud parent watching her daughter grow up. Sitting in the audience, she was content just to appreciate the show.
The lighting on stage changed, and the rehearsal continued.
The scene was still the same as the beginning—a deep gray demon-style mansion bedroom in a noble's residence. A dark red velvet sofa and chair were placed by the fireplace, where the crackling firewood and sparks created a cozy atmosphere.
"Why are you sitting in my room, Miss Demihuman?"
The Demon Governor asked with a hint of coldness and displeasure, addressing the silhouette sitting on the vintage sheepskin chair.
"Because I'm your fiancee."
The Demihuman noblewoman answered calmly, her hands resting on her knees.
She seemed as if she had been in this room many times before, without a trace of nervousness as a guest.
"What do I have to do for you to stop bothering me?"
The Demon Governor covered his forehead and turned to knock on the door, wanting to call the butler to send the demon lady away.
"Sir, did you call me?"
After the knocking sound from outside the door, the governor opened it, and the old demon butler respectfully entered the room.
(End of Chapter)
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