https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-882-Lance-Still-Couldn-t-Escape-Her-Part-1-/12937221/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-883-Loqi-s-Longest-Two-Hours-Part-1-/12937228/
Chapter 882: Lance Still Couldn't Escape Her (Part 2)
Chapter 882: Lance Still Couldn't Escape Her (Part 2)
The two women's seats were easy to find; they just had to keep walking forward.
However, once they reached their seats, Ifatiya no longer held Minera's hand as intimately as before. Instead, they walked side by side like a close sister-in-law and sister-in-law.
"There are so many familiar faces..."
"
Ifatiya's gaze casually swept over the VIP seats.
But none of them recognized Minera, for the puppet disguised as Migaya was already in place.
The upper echelon of Echire's high society had gathered there.
"I have nothing to do with them," Minera said, stretching leisurely.
Anyway, no one would recognize her, and the puppet's presence there was proof enough that they weren't the same person.
Today's plan was foolproof.
They walked forward and soon reached the excellent VIP seats.
Glancing to the side, they saw Abigail sitting next to them.
"Ifa, you're here. And this is..."
Abigail usually supervised from the audience, and her gaze shifted from Ifatiya to the dark-haired beauty beside her.
She had never seen a woman so captivating, a perfect fusion of demeanor and appearance like a masterpiece of the Creator's skill. As a director, her professional instinct made her wonder if this woman could be an exceptional actress.
"Minera, my cousin," Ifatiya introduced enthusiastically.
"So, you're the Duke's daughter," Abigail greeted Minera with a proper gesture of courtesy.
"Thank you for your kind hospitality," Minera replied without a hint of aristocratic arrogance.
The three exchanged a few words, and Ifatiya became curious about her sister's location, looking back.
As far as she knew, her foster sister had gone on a date with Lance to the Golden Bee Amusement Park this morning.
Since Lance had been sent back to the theater, he should have arrived early.
"Sister, Huobao, and Brother... Where's Lance?" Ifatiya asked Abigail.
"Lance and Huobao are both reliable. They prepared in advance. Huobao is chatting in the dressing room with Tata, while Lance is already waiting backstage. He seems to need a quiet space to rest, and he appeared a bit nervous and tired when he rushed over," Abigail assured Ifatiya, looking towards the curtain.
...
Behind the stage curtain at this moment, the staff were busy setting up and conducting final tests. In a corner, Lance sat on a box, his expression solemn as he held a cat to his ear and instructed the little black cat holding a communication magic card:
"The final challenge today is to escort them out of the Echire Opera House in three separate time slots, avoiding the reporters, and leading the three of you out from three different boxes. Is that clear?"
Having reached this point, Lance felt that today's tribulations were finally over.
The only remaining difficulty was for Loren to smoothly guide the three women, who were within arm's reach, out of the Brillada Opera House after watching the opera.
"I understand, Instructor," Loren's voice came through the communication magic card held by Cat Boss.
"Good luck," Lance said, leaving only these two words before hanging up the communication and putting down Cat Boss.
Throughout the process, Lance had no way to command Loren; he could only rely on Loren's performance.
With the planning Loren had left behind, there shouldn't be any issues. Loren's learning ability was strong, and he had already shown noticeable improvement this time.
Even if Lance tried his best, there was only so much he could do to help Loren.
He would be restricted to the stage for two hours.
"Lance, you can do it too! The performance must go smoothly!" Cat Boss cheered for Lance.
"It will be fine," Lance said, resting his chin on his hand and closing his eyes to rest, waiting for the leading actress to arrive.
This was his only break time.
...
It was 1:40 PM.
Valentine's Day was passing by quickly.
Today was an eagerly anticipated day.
The more enjoyable the time, the faster it seemed to fly by.
At this moment in the Echire Opera House, many troupe members were walking through the corridors inside the theater.
In addition to the main stage, the opera house had numerous rehearsal rooms, dressing rooms, and workshops for costume and prop sewing.
They turned into narrow, deep passages and crossed spacious, bright halls.
At the end of the troupe's rest area was a door leading to the dressing room for Holy War Romance.
It was a spacious and orderly space.
The room was brightly lit, with mirrors covering three walls, and various cosmetics, wigs, and props were neatly arranged in front of the mirrors. In the center of the room were several leather chairs with soft cushions.
"I'm actually quite nervous about performing in front of so many Echire people and revealing my half-demon true self," Huberian said, sitting in front of the makeup mirror, speaking to Tata, who was keeping her company.
Talia held Huberian's hand.
"Huberian, don't be nervous. I was incredibly nervous at first, but once I got on stage and had a few snacks, I calmed down," Talia reassured her, sharing her experience.
As a former demon, she had a wealth of experience.
"Huff."
Huberian couldn't help but laugh.
She knew that she had rehearsed for a month, while Talia had been pushed onto the stage without even time to memorize the script.
Yet, in the end, she had miraculously pulled off the performance.
This was a testament to Tata's incredible mental fortitude.
"Abigail's troupe is very luxurious. The snacks served during the performance are fresh, not just prop models, and you can grab them to eat on stage if you get hungry," Talia continued to tell Huberian.
"No, I believe Abigail doesn't use prop food just for better visual effects; they aren't meant to feed the actors," Huberian laughed and relaxed, revealing her stunning beauty.
The foundation glowed softly under the stage lights, and the makeup, like an artist's palette, enhanced Huberian's features, making her even more captivating.
"Don't worry, with Lance there, everything will be fine."
Despite herself, Talia's eyes softened at the mention of Lance.
"Yes, with Lance by my side, I'm not afraid."
Huberian nodded in agreement.
For men, the key to makeup is to create a defined yet natural look. Usually, not even eyeshadow is needed; a simple contouring of the eyes is sufficient. Lance's makeup was much quicker to apply than Huberian's, and he was already done and waiting backstage.
"Then I'll just sit back and enjoy your performance."
Talia released Huberian's hand, ready to escort her to the backstage area.
It was time for Talia to take her seat in the audience and await the show.
Suddenly, Talia felt Huberian's palm turn cold, and she tightened her grip, causing Talia's hand to hurt.
"Huberian?"
Talia looked at Huberian with concern.
At that moment, Huberian's eyes had a blank stare.
"..."
The colors in Huberian's vision shifted, and everything seemed to invert, turning into a dark-toned image.
A surge of pain erupted from within her body, spreading along her meridians and into her limbs, causing her skin to reveal wandering purple veins.
She clutched her chest in agony, her eyes now tinged with a deep, dark amethyst color.
"Huberian, what's wrong?"
Talia quickly supported Huberian.
"I..."
Huberian's breathing became rapid.
She felt her body's rejection reaction occurring again.
"Huberian, I'll go get Antanas. She's in the audience."
A communication magic card appeared in Talia's hand.
"I'm fine."
Huberian glanced at the time, knowing that there wasn't enough time for Antanas to come and go.
Even if Antanas came to see her, Huberian should be the one going backstage, and this pain couldn't be alleviated by Antanas' healing potions; she had to overcome it herself.
"Hubo, don't push yourself."
Huberian's steps faltered, and just as she took two steps, she stumbled, only to be caught by Talia.
Talia knew how excruciating it was for Huberian when her body was invaded by toxins similar to Merogas'.
During their last Shadow World battle, Talia had been poisoned by Merogas, a violent toxin that could shatter one's liver and gallbladder. Even the Demon Lord struggled to endure it, let alone performing on stage while bearing such poison.
"I..."
Huberian hated her body with all her might. If she hadn't been suppressing her demonic abilities since childhood, she wouldn't be going through this process of rejection and reconciliation between her demonic and human factors.
Perhaps it was because she had accumulated too much merit through her sacrifices that fate was playing a cruel joke on her at this critical moment.
Or maybe the demonic lineage of Merogas within her was eager to test its limits and have some fun at this moment.
But today's performance couldn't afford any mishaps.
"Huberian..."
Talia watched Huberian's agony as if she were feeling the pain herself.
She wished she could take Huberian's pain upon herself and hoped that Huberian could complete the performance with Lance today.
Wait a minute.
Talia seemed to have an idea.
"I might have a solution."
Talia murmured.
"Tata, do you really have a way?"
Huberian's voice was weak, but her eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope.
Talia was the only one nearby who could help her.
Perhaps the Demon Lord would indeed have a solution.
"Antanas said that your toxins are due to the conflict between your demonic and human bloodlines. Because you've been suppressing your demonic side for so long, your body can't adapt to the sudden changes after awakening. So, if we make your body more purely demonic, it might be able to adapt to these changes."
Talia analyzed the situation.
"What should I do then?"
Huberian asked Talia.
Even Antanas couldn't create a medicine to cure this condition; she could only wait for her body to slowly adjust.
"Use this."
Talia opened her palm and took out her Epic Equipment [Devil Fusion] Earrings.
The earrings seemed to have been freshly extracted from the ancient demon realm's abyss, absorbing and reflecting the weakest wavelengths of light in the dressing room, casting a deep, unstable shade of red to dark purple under the afternoon sun.
If the two demon princesses merged into one, becoming three-quarters demonic, it would significantly reduce Huberian's self-rejection from her awakened bloodline.
After the fusion, Huberian's appearance might remain, but her consciousness would be Talia's. Talia would have to take over Huberian's role in the upcoming play.
The duration of the demon fusion depended on the compatibility between the two parties. Since their compatibility was quite low, they might be able to separate by tonight, unlike the prolonged fusion with the Great Poetess.
As long as Talia could help Huberian pull off the first performance smoothly and not too poorly, tomorrow's second performance by Huberian would undoubtedly be a full house as well.
"Please, Tata."
Huberian had no choice but to trust Talia, clutching her hand tightly and putting on the devil tail-shaped earring from Talia's other palm onto her own ear.
To Huberian, Talia had always been her most trusted and reliable family member, and conveniently, Talia was also skilled in opera performances.
For today's play to succeed, this might be the best solution, and time didn't allow for hesitation.
"Don't worry, I know the original work of 'Holy War Romance' like the back of my hand. I can improvise just by looking at the script."
This time, Talia was exceptionally confident, assuring Huberian as she put on the other earring.
Lance had always criticized her performance style, and now she would prove to him that her acting was flawless.
Talia brushed the hair away from her ear and put on the devil horn-shaped earrings.
The once-stable barrier magic in this space began to ripple, triggered by the supreme power of the demon bloodline.
Silver and purple tides gathered and enveloped them.
Amidst the fluctuations of magic, Huberian's figure blurred, her physical boundaries began to disappear, and she quickly transformed into particles, merging with Talia.
The runes floating in the air around them flickered faster, enveloped in a faint purple mist.
It was not just a physical union but also a fusion of strength, consciousness, and even souls.
Magic gathered in the air, cocooned, weaved, and dissipated until, after a few breaths, the witch slowly opened her eyes again.
"Am I still Talia, or am I Huberian now?"
The witch stood before the makeup mirror and found that after the fusion, she had completely transformed into Huberian's appearance.
She observed that over a year ago, when they first met, Huberian's figure was similar to hers, only slightly taller. Now, when she looked down, she realized that some parts had surpassed her, and only by assuming Huberian's perspective could she truly feel the difference.
"Never mind, I'm Huobao now."
Talia, who had taken over the consciousness, admired Huberian's beauty in the mirror with a pounding heart.
This beautiful, captivating, and adorable appearance was enough to melt her heart.
She thought for a moment and then took out a semi-transparent orange magic card engraved with flower petal patterns.
Since their last separation, Lance had often entrusted Lanfu to Talia's care.
Lance had suggested this arrangement, hoping that Talia could take care of Lanfu, and it had indeed made things easier for Lance.
Now, the Great Poetess had become their shared property.
With the Great Poetess by her side, it was more convenient for Talia to merge and upgrade into the Mad Love Mage whenever needed.
The Great Poetess stepped out of the gathered orange light.
"Wow, Talia, you've truly become an exact copy of Huberian. This is Huberian's body!"
The Great Poetess circled around "Huberian," confirming her words.
Even Huberian's own mother wouldn't suspect that this was someone else disguised as her daughter.
"Lanfu, take this ticket. If Lance doesn't see me in the audience, he might worry or become suspicious of me on stage."
Talia didn't have time to explain further to the Great Poetess and handed her the original seat ticket.
"Actually, there's no need for Lance to hold a grudge against me. I can perform well, and no one understands Huobao better than I do."
Talia muttered to herself.
As long as Lance didn't open his eyes, she was his niece.
"Okay, so I'll pretend to be you to avoid suspicion."
The Great Poetess already had a ticket for today's performance, but since Talia needed her help, she was more than willing to assist.
As she spoke, the Great Poetess searched for golden contact lenses in the dressing room.
"Thank you, Lanfu," Talia said gratefully.
Lance often had the Great Poetess impersonate him when creating magic cards, and it turned out that this skill came in handy.
Now, with the Great Poetess disguised as her, as long as she didn't speak, she looked very much like the real Talia.
"It's fine, Talia. Perhaps my life's mission is to bring you happiness, but that jerk Lance contracted me. Just let me know if you need any help."
The Great Poetess had been under Talia's care for some time, and her greatest thought was to follow Talia.
That jerk Lance didn't know how to cherish her; only Talia treated her like a treasure.
"I'll make something delicious for you when we get back."
Huberian-like Talia patted Lanfu's head and withdrew her hand, not wanting to disturb her while putting on the contact lenses.
"Let's go watch the play!"
The Great Poetess quickly transformed into Talia's appearance with a few touches in the dressing room.
She hummed a tune as she left with the ticket in hand.
"Lance, you jerk!" the Great Poetess muttered through a natural smile, her teeth grinding imperceptibly.
Huberian-like Talia watched Lanfu leave.
She was confident that the Great Poetess could serve as the perfect stand-in, watching from the audience, and then picked up the script from the dressing table.
This time, she had an inexplicable confidence.
If she had succeeded in the previous performance, this one would be even easier.
Besides, she was very familiar with the Half-Maiden Act's script.
She opened the thin script.
"..."
"..."
"Hey, why does this script only have the first act, and why are there only my lines?"
Talia flipped through the script on the table, her panic increasing as she flipped through it faster and faster, checking every page.
She realized that the actors didn't seem to have the complete script, but this time, there was a prompter.
She calmed down and began to read the first act.
It seemed very similar to the original work, and the fill-in-the-blanks were easy for her to complete.
This was too simple.
"Abigail sure knows how to have fun, using this method to train Huberian to experience my on-the-spot performance difficulty."
Talia suddenly understood Abigail's intention.
Her confidence returned, and it grew stronger as she skimmed through the thin script and closed it.
She knew the original work of Holy War Romance inside out.
It was just a sequel performance with Lance.
"Hmph."
Huberian-like Talia smirked and crossed her arms,
"Lance, I'll show you on stage what a good teacher I am."
As everyone knew, Holy War Romance was a historical comedy, and she would just follow the style of the Gray Princess Chapter.
(End of Chapter)
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