https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-881-Lance-Seeks-Ask-s-Guidance-Part-2-/12937218/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-882-Lance-Still-Couldn-t-Escape-Her-Part-2-/12937224/
Chapter 882: Lance Still Couldn't Escape Her (Part 1)
Chapter 882: Lance Still Couldn't Escape Her (Part 1)
At 1:30 PM, on the other side of the Yala Moat, across from the Echire Crown Group, in the Echire North District's central business area, stood the Echire Opera House.
Located at Penny Point of Yala Port, adjacent to the Yala River Bridge, it occupied an area of approximately 1.9 hectares.
Designed in the Modernist style with an innovative conch-shaped roof, the entire complex was composed of multiple gigantic triangular concrete "shells" and glass facades, resembling a set of soaring sails. The grandeur and imagination of the structure were considered an outstanding example of Expressionist architecture.
"Darling, I heard from Antanas that today's opera is absolutely amazing."
Ifatiya held the hand of the black-haired noblewoman as they leisurely strolled across the bustling North Shore Temple Central Plaza, bypassing the changing traffic lights at the intersection.
She spoke with an expectant fist clenched at her side.
To ensure the best viewing experience, she hadn't attended any rehearsals and didn't bring Migaya with her.
"Technically speaking, I'm your sister-in-law now, so it might be a bit inappropriate for you to call me 'darling'."
The black-haired woman replied with a hint of laughter in her eyes.
"No matter, my sister-in-law is also my best friend, so it's fine."
Ifatiya playfully hugged Minera.
Due to the overwhelming popularity of today's performance at the Echire Opera House, numerous media outlets and celebrities had gathered. To facilitate their travel, the Duke had to appear as Minera Alansal again to avoid being chased by enthusiastic fans.
"I'm not worried about your sister. She doesn't have a suspicious mind at all. As long as we bypass her lie detection, she'll believe the results without question. But that Lance guy is very perceptive."
Minera contemplated deeply.
She had even arranged a puppet resembling Migaya in the VIP seats, so when their friends saw Migaya and Minera appearing simultaneously, it would further dispel Lance and Talia's suspicions.
"What if Lance guesses it?"
Ifatiya couldn't help but ask Minera with a hint of worry.
"He won't. There's no way he can deduce it. Even if we don't talk about our figures, I'm over ten centimeters shorter than Migaya. It doesn't make sense to associate us as the same person. Even if there are similarities in our auras, at most, they should think of us as siblings."
Minera shook her head.
"That's good, hehe."
Ifatiya could now rest assured and enjoy her outing with Minera, even in front of Lance and her sister.
They walked towards the Echire Opera House, gazing at the towering Hutton Modernist-style architecture with its multi-story glass facades and dazzling lights. On the outer wall, a giant poster of "Holy War Romance - Half-Maiden Act" was being projected, along with promotional music videos.
As they crossed the North Shore Temple Plaza, the main building of the Echire Opera House gradually came into view, with its vast white sandstone exterior and a glimpse of the magnificent golden interior through the glass.
In front of the main entrance with twelve glass revolving doors, the fountain square featured a pool with beige granite walls, and the inner column of water rose and fell in rhythm with the music.
"Traffic in Echire is still so congested, but it's much better than Brillada."
Migaya believed that leaving early was the right decision.
With the weekend and the Valentine Festival, the closer they got to the Echire Opera House, the more congested the traffic became. Walking nearby was the best option.
"It's fine. I have Apo. I'll send him a communication, and he can open the door for us directly."
After many years, Ifatiya had returned to Echire and had a wonderful morning playing with Migaya.
The Herton Kingdom didn't have the same strict regulations as the Protoss Empire in the North Continent, prohibiting the use of concealment magic to change races. Some well-known figures were allowed to disguise themselves as needed, but for today's identity verification and ticket inspection, they needed to maintain a recognizable identity.
Minera Alansal, coincidentally, had the identity of the Alansal Duke's Manor, which had been used without issue in the South Continent for many years.
Currently, Minera and Ifatiya appeared as a black-haired noble lady and a young duchess who had arranged to watch a popular play at the Echire Opera House.
As they approached the opera house, Ifatiya and Minera blended into the crowd of guests in the front plaza.
Gentlemen wore tailored suits or tailcoats, their buttons gleaming with silver and mother-of-pearl, while ladies adorned themselves in fashionable gowns, exuding elegance and luxury.
In contrast, the two noble ladies were dressed casually, but their aura made them stand out like a duke and princess.
"I've seen the original cast's performance in the Crethe Empire, and it was truly spectacular. You'll never guess what will happen next."
"Will there be any new surprises today?"
"Not likely. I heard that the funniest leading actress isn't here today, and the promotional music video also seems to be in a more tragic style."
As Ifatiya and Migaya walked forward, they overheard the lively conversations of the audience around them.
Their joyful voices were filled with anticipation for the artistic feast they were about to experience.
The opera house featured multiple performance art venues, including a concert hall, opera house, theater, and other performance spaces. The main auditorium could accommodate nearly six thousand spectators, making it the center of performing arts in Herton. Over fifteen hundred concerts, operas, dances, and theatrical performances were held annually.
Many renowned musicians and artistic troupes from the South Continent had performed here.
As a landmark building in Echire City, the Echire Opera House had become a symbol of Herton's culture and tourism.
Its striking architectural design, exceptional acoustics, and thriving performing arts had earned praise throughout the South Continent, and Ifatiya and Migaya were proud of it.
"By the way, I also helped with the promotional music video."
Ifatiya spoke to Migaya.
"It's really you."
Migaya looked up at the promotional music video playing on the various screens throughout the Echire Opera House.
Ifatiya and a few other female demons were merely supporting characters, appearing as Archangels, occasionally in the background, watching the story's protagonists from afar, and having a brief role at the end.
There were four other female demons with her.
The video ended and started replaying.
Migaya gradually fell silent, focusing on the images on the giant screens inside the opera house.
A strong, rhythmic drumbeat sounded, transforming into the sound of high heels tapping on the ground.
In the video, high heels clicked against the marble floor, creating a crisp, frequent noise.
At first, Migaya thought this was just a promotional music video that Abigail had filmed on a whim, hence the five easily accessible female demons. Now, it seemed like an art-level music film recording.
The leading actress in this short film was still played by Huberian.
The opening scene slowly revealed her walking quickly in the Echire office building, dressed in a black skirt.
People seemed to be invisible to her, allowing her to move freely.
But with just a glance at the woman in front of her and then at the man beside her, she could make them fall in love.
Her character was similar to Eros, with a cold gaze devoid of emotion.
As Eros, her duty and ability were to make people fall in love, but her divine identity remained invisible to mortals.
She had the power to make anyone in the world fall in love, yet she could never receive love herself.
Thus, over a long period, she numbly and lonely weaved through the crowd, fulfilling her duties, only to be consumed by loneliness.
Until the scene changed to a day in the Herton Art Gallery.
Eros, played by Huberian, stood before a large epic oil painting, noticing the male lead leisurely admiring it nearby.
The male lead was played by Lance, a painter by profession.
Eros was supposed to look at another woman and find a love interest for the painter, but this time, she seemed captivated, unable to take her eyes off the painter.
Eros followed the painter, filled with curiosity, searching for his figure and forgetting her own duties.
Then, in the midst of a heavy downpour, she made a decision, accepted the baptism of the mortal world, shed her divine form, and laughed wildly with relief.
The next day, the painter's door was suddenly knocked on.
When the painter opened the door, he was surprised to see the human form of Eros, played by Huberian, wearing a white dress, looking as cute and gentle as a young girl.
The girl seemed to have gathered her courage to knock on the painter's door.
The scene then transitioned to a silent conversation between them through music and song, where they quickly became acquainted, fell in love, and the images captured their sweet life together.
The happiness continued.
It seemed like these blissful days would go on.
The scene shifted to a date between Eros and the painter, where they were about to meet at a traffic intersection.
As the traffic lights changed, busy crowds began crossing the zebra crossing, and the painter smiled and waved at Eros from across the street.
Eros walked towards the painter with a smile.
Suddenly, a figure emerged behind the painter.
The music abruptly stopped at this moment, turning into a ringing echo.
The figure behind the male lead was another Eros, played by Talia.
She smiled silently, watching Huberian.
In this silence, Huberian was shocked.
She realized that her transgression of crossing the boundary between mortals and gods had been discovered by her superior. In her panic, she unintentionally regained her divine power and glanced at another fair-haired woman passing by on the road.
In the previous frame, the male lead, the painter, was still smiling at Huberian.
After being obscured by a passerby, he reappeared without a smile on his face.
It was as if he had forgotten about Huberian or couldn't see her at all.
However, he noticed the fair-haired woman, and her purple eyes met his gaze.
The two seemed to have taken an interest in each other, but whether there was more to the story is left to the audience's imagination, as the scene ended there, focusing on Huberian's dazed close-up.
In the final scene, Huberian returned to being Eros, dressed in a beautiful gown, strolling nonchalantly through the temple's corridor.
She was drawn to a distant voice.
"Wake up~"
"I don't want to resist your ever-present shadow~"
The voice was ethereal and soothing, like a lullaby or a sacred hymn.
She walked over slowly and saw the statues, paintings, and five Archangels dancing beneath them, comforting her with their songs and dances.
The screen then turned black, leaving a preview subtitle for the "Holy War Romance - Gray Princess" chapter.
"Darling, darling," Ifatiya said, shaking Migaya's arm, bringing her back to her senses and away from the promotional music video.
"Can't you five demon sisters form a group?" Migaya asked Ifatiya, looking back at the promotional music video playing on the crystal screens inside the Echire Opera House.
Ifatiya, her sister Talia, Ice Maiden Armis, Guardian Lord Antanas, and Lawbreaker Lord Sinora each had their unique styles. Perhaps this promotional music video, as a derivative of the opera, would be even more praised by the audience, as the performances of the five female demons were stunning.
"Ah, is this music video well-performed?" Ifatiya asked Minera.
"You've always been in the background, sometimes disguised as passersby, waiters, or gallery guides in the protagonists' lives. The singing parts were mainly handled by Talia and Armis, but you all stood out, and the final scene was almost paused on your radiant figures."
Migaya commented.
If people were to discover that not only the Demon King was skilled in performances, but the other Great Demons were also naturally talented, the process of the Demon World's restoration might receive support from many human fans, drastically accelerating the restoration speed.
The roles of the Great Demons were similar to scattered divine messengers in the mortal realm. They could be seen by humans, maintaining a certain order in the mortal world, but they observed Eros as bystanders, as the lyrics sang—
"What is the ending you truly desire?"
They bestowed pity and advice upon Eros's struggle against fate and pursuit of love, yet they repeatedly reminded and questioned as bystanders.
"So that's how it is. When I was taken by Abigail for the performance, I just thought it was fun and didn't think much of it," Ifatiya said, shyly scratching her head.
At first, she thought Migaya was just praising her too much, but when she heard Migaya's serious appreciation, she realized that Abigail had also put in extra effort to maintain the quality of the music video.
"Huobao's portrayal of the ghostly Eros ultimately didn't obtain the love she desired, but when she left, she no longer wore the black attire of her past. She understood the divergence between mortals and gods and found solace in the choice between fleeting love and eternal love," Migaya continued explaining to Ifatiya.
"I believe the message of the entire music video is similar to the ancient legends of Eros and the opera's theme. Love is unexpected and enigmatic. At the same time, we shouldn't be overly concerned with the outcome of love; the passionate process is already a reason to be fearless."
Migaya finally stopped staring at the high-up crystal screen replaying the scenes, deep in thought.
Although the plot of the promotional video had no relation to the main story or historical background of 'Holy War Romance,' just watching this music video was enough to guess the style of the opera performance.
Perhaps it would be a tragedy, but there would be moments of joy within the bitter journey and the ending.
"So that's how it is... As expected of you, you can understand so much from just a music video. I didn't think much of it when I was performing!" Ifatiya clapped happily. She didn't understand some parts, but when her lover explained, everything became clear.
Indeed, Migaya had more in common with Lance and Abigail when it came to artistic discussions. It was normal for her to grasp Abigail's vision as a director.
"But is there a chance it might be a comedy today..."
Ifatiya suddenly pouted, looking slightly aggrieved.
She still preferred comedies.
"It's unlikely, unless I misunderstood the message Abigail wanted to convey in the music video," Migaya could only comfort Ifatiya in advance.
She believed the story would be exciting, but it was likely that by the end, Ifatiya wouldn't be laughing as she did during the Gray Princess Chapter.
"Alright."
Ifatiya hugged Migaya's arm a little tighter and snuggled up to her side. Even if a tragic performance awaited them, she had someone by her side to comfort her.
The two passed through the bright and spacious foyer, and as they entered the performance hall, a dazzling light greeted them. Migaya and Ifatiya arrived at the ticket inspection area.
"You two should enter through Gate Number Two, and then walk straight along the left passageway to quickly find your seats," said the formally dressed staff member after examining their tickets. They were surprised to see that the two were VIPs with front-row seats, and the difficulty of obtaining these tickets might even surpass that of the private boxes upstairs.
The staff member then guided them into the Brillada Opera House with a standard and polite gesture.
"Thank you," Minera said as she took back the ticket stubs and stepped through the heavy double doors with Ifatiya.
As they entered the main performance hall, they both relaxed.
There were still over twenty minutes until the performance began.
The hall was already filled with audience members. In the back rows, numerous media reporters held their equipment, and in the front rows, there were many familiar faces.
Not only were Lance and Huobao's friends from Ekerite Academy present, but even Rosalinda, the Countess of Florentia, and Demon Lord Etio had come, taking advantage of their pre-arranged vacation. Moreover, the Imperial War God could be seen beside Abigail.
Many Herton nobles tried to approach Abigail, the famous director and magic engineering prodigy of the Empire, hoping to exchange a few words with her.
"Abigail has brought the most advanced stage magic machinery and sound system from the Southern Continent. Even the Empire's residents in Brillada would find these equipment fascinating. One reason Echire fully cooperated with Abigail was due to her reputation and fame as a director, and the other was the technical support she could provide," Minera explained as she and Ifatiya walked down the thick red carpet, chatting casually.
Inside the opera house, the dozens of meters high dome was adorned with starry lights. Countless crystals shimmered under the warm glow, casting a mesmerizing light onto the burgundy carpet, creating a dreamlike, colorful landscape.
Every few steps, the friendly and attentive Echire Opera House staff would guide the VIPs to their seats.
(End of Chapter)
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