LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 58: The Play (II).
Chapter 58: The Play (II).
One Day Off.
Three days before the play.
Current Location: Commoners Dormitory.
[Analissa Blanchet].
The wooden tile on the door had this name scribbled, inside was the heroine of the story holding her egg, patting its head. It grew orange spots that resembled fire, maybe it’s because their egg has been connected with that element.
By the window there was a small little box that was meant for a little red sparrow, planning to sleep over for the days ahead. Still having the same mission of watching over the blonde girl, he takes it seriously but for some reason-
“Tweet! Tweet!” (Losimer) flies over the little warm box that the blonde girl had made for him, with a small plate on the side containing his favorite scrumptious, delicious, crispy, crunchy, sunflower seeds delights.
“You like it? Really? I'm glad.” (Analissa) also gives Losimer a gentle caress by the hand and refills his water in his new temporary home. Losimer just couldn’t help but lower his guard down if Miss Analissa Blanchet will keep on doing kind things like these!
“I know the Villainess- ahem I mean Lady Evelyn has told you to keep an eye on me and sometimes I think you even watch in the night right?”
“Tweet…” The bird was shameful enough to admit that he does, nodding.
Anyone with a good head and sense of danger will think that a bird being sent by someone to watch you almost twenty-four seven, keeping tabs, knowing where you are and what you’re doing is a dangerous thing but for Analissa-
“You can stay here in the meantime. Your little hangout spot while you keep your tabs on me.” She welcomes the bird like it was nothing. The bird's eyes had stars in them, thinking if she was the embodiment of the light goddess. Even his master wasn’t this kind and considerate towards him!
“Sniff… Tweet!” (Losimer) presses his cheeks against the blonde girl happily, she has never met such a considerate- and weird human before! He tells Analissa that he loves everything that she’s doing and that he may help the master win over a lovely human.
“Oh wow I guess you really like it that much.” The Japanese streamer was not really expecting to befriend a bird like Losimer but it was a happy accident to have.
It doesn’t feel too lonely inside the dormitory now, she has always wanted a pet too back in her real world. Being sick didn’t give her much opportunity to take care of a dog or a cat-
A bird though? She wasn’t a bird person before but now maybe she is.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The two were interrupted by someone knocking on the door, so early in the afternoon.
“Huh?”
“Tweet?”
Analissa and Losimer looked at each other before turning back to hear another set of knocks.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Analissa stares at the entrance door suspiciously, “That's weird, I wasn't expecting any visitors today.” she mutters and the bird overhears it.
“Tweet?!” (Losimer) already had his wings open to fly to his master out of panic, thinking that danger would befall on his new human friend.
“Ah- wait!” (Analissa) holds the bird and tries to calm him down. “Easy, Losimer. It's okay- I know you're a little um… agitated but don't worry it's probably my neighbor complaining about the noise.”
She really wished it was just a neighbor complaining about the noise.
“I don't want you calling Lady Evelyn, what if it's just nothing?”
“Tweet…” (Losimer) tweeted sadly, still worrying that danger could still be lurking. He doesn’t want to have her hurt-!
Analissa suddenly felt a pang in her stomach, remembering that the crown prince still existed. The only problem is, would he be so bold to visit her on a random day without much reason?
“...”
He totally would, it’s a low chance but it’s still possible based on her memory playing the crown prince love route. “Ah… how about this? You watch who it is first, I'll keep the window open so that if anything happens to me you can fly and alert milady. Is that alright?”
Losimer blinks, the arrangement didn’t seem bad and maybe he was really just overthinking. “Tweet.” He agrees and somehow Analissa understood his calm tweet meant yes.
“Okay I'll open the window.” She lets go of Losimer, quickly opening the window as Losimer hides behind his new box for the moment, keeping his guard steady and never lowered.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
“Coming!” (Analissa) rushes out to get the door, when she does her hands hesitates by the doorknob. The memories flood not only the crown prince, but also the commoner girls that locked her in the bathroom.
“Umm… actually, who is it first?” She tries to breathe in slowly, clasping her hands and reminding herself to be brave because she’s not alone. Analissa has Losimer with her and he can call Lady Evelyn if needed.
“It's me, Lord Einsel!” A voice from the other side answered, sounding impatient because he’s been knocking a few times and no one was answering him properly.
“Lord Ein?!” She opens the door out of instinct to see a charming man, winking as she looked shocked as to why he was here. “Why are you here- we don’t have any class?”
Lord Ein takes something out of his inventory, casting the inventorium spell before giving the blonde girl a stack of papers with a wide smile on his face. “I'm here for the favor.”
“Wha-”
“Mind letting me in?”
Analissa bites her lip, it’s not safe to let him in because this was a public area where if he goes in then many rumors would stir up- that they did something together! A woman inviting a man to her room is never a good thing!
“N-No! You can stay there and wait for me to get changed! We’ll talk elsewhere!” (Analissa) closes the door on him with a loud slam, running to Losimer that it was the young lord visiting to call in a favor.
Thud!
“...well that was rude.” (Lord Ein) places a hand on her waist, yawning. His plan was already close to a finish, the costumes fit to her size were all done and now she just needs to memorize the script. “We’ve got a long way to go before you’ll be a proper prince.”
…
“Tweet?!” (Losimer) became angry after finding out who was on the other side of the door. His little feet were scratching the wood that he was standing on, but noticed that the blonde human looked frantic as she dug through her closet looking for something to wear.
Analissa cried out, “I need to wear something not too appealing! We’ll be mistaken about going out together on a date! I would rather die first!”
Losimer stopped for a moment realizing how she really disliked the young lord, hearing that she would rather die than go on a date with him was a very huge ouch. “T-Tweet…”
After a few minutes, the heroine was done choosing some tailored clothes that were nothing too pretty or too ugly. A normal set, no effort and prayed that it would help lessen the rumors.
“Losimer, I need to go. I still owe Lord Ein a favor- I have to go, will you go with me?” She finishes fixing her ribbon before asking the bird if he’ll come too.
“Tweet!” The bird answers, as hell he won’t!
He quickly flies over to her shoulder, chest puffing up and ready to scratch some pretty faces as soon as he dares lay a finger on his new human friend.
“Okay, let’s go.” (Analissa) nods, getting to the door and opening it, seeing Lord Ein to the side waiting patiently with the same papers in his hands.
“Are you done?” (Lord Ein) asks, peaking over to her shoulder and realizing that she wasn’t completely alone. “Pfft-”
“Tweet.” (Losimer) puffs his chest, showing that he was bigger than before and that he can peck out his eyes if he wanted to.
“Oh look at that, you brought a bodyguard with you. Is that why you took so long?”
The bodyguard wanted to lunge at the young lord but fortunately, the heroine is there to calm him down.
“Well… if you don't mind I'll be more comfortable if I have Losimer by my side, he's my friend.” (Analissa) vouches for her new sidekick as the Lord rolls his eyes and crosses his arms together.
“Lady Evelyn’s little familiar is your friend, what a good one.” He leans over to the bird and grins. “Sure, why not? I have nothing to hide.”
Analissa nodded in relief but looked around the dormitory being cautious if anyone was out. “But the favor- where should we do it? We can't do it in my room, you're not allowed to because of food reasons.”
‘And I would rather not have any rumors going around that I'm sleeping with Lord Ein.’ All of the braincells agreed with this plan, everything she was doing was all careful and calculated not raising any death flags early.
“If we can't practice in my room, then we can in one of the empty classrooms, I'm just helping you rehearse your lines for the play right?” She asks him.
Lord Ein held his script, fanning himself slightly before replying, “Yes, it is just you lending an aid to a good friend. I do need my help polishing my acting skills and for no other peculiar reasons.”
“Then let's go.” (Analissa) locks the door and swears on her egg baby that was safely put on the corner of the bed that she’ll be back soon.
…
The three of them found an empty classroom to which they can practice in, their voices echoed as the heroine squinted her eyes at how… creative the new script was.
“I am indebted… to your kindness, princess.” (Analissa) acts out the scene, imagining that the villainess was standing right before her as she bows, holding her imaginary hand.
“Go on.” (Lord Ein) was sitting down on one of the chairs, observing the tone in her voice and the posture.
“Tweet.” (Losimer) sat next to Lord Ein and has already watched the blue haired idiot lord act, he is good but human blonde friend is horrible. She looked like she was constipated as she acted like an old man not knowing what to do in the middle of the classroom.
“Your true love's kiss has broken the curse. I am finally me again, a whole person.” The heroine holding the script almost cringed, she suppressed it because she remembers that Lord Ein will be acting out everything with Lady Evelyn.
“What is that sour expression you're making? Go on feel the happiness that the prince is feeling when he broke the curse.” The young lord orders her as he clicks his tongue. “Do that scene again!”
“Okay-!”
She redoes everything from the top, every simple mistake for every wrong expression on her face was punished by redoing it all over again.
At this point she's really going to remember everything because of how repetitive their practice was.
“Oh- princess I am a frog-!” By the midpoint of it though, Analissa was tired having beads of sweat running down her face.
“Do it again!” (Lord Ein) commands and that does it. Her patience has limits, and even if this was a huge favor he didn’t have to yell at her like that!
“What the heck the play is three days away and you spend your time here toying with me?!” (Analissa) threw the script at the young lord's head.
Lord Ein, who was a little surprised by her actions, barely caught it. “Hey, be careful with that! We still need it.”
Analissa understands that she owes him a favor but why doesn't it make any sense for her to be doing this than anything else?!
“Listen it feels like you're training me here for something. Why am I memorizing this when you're the prince?!” She points a finger at Lord Ein who avoids his eyes at that question. “You know when I agreed to do this I really thought oh the young lord must help with acting or something doing some rehearsal lines!”
“But why in the heck am I doing all the work and you're judging everything that I'm doing?” Her own sentence echoes in her mind as everything all made sense.
“Are you… you're not planning on ditching the play and making me the replacement, right?”
Lord Ein almost fell out of his chair, suddenly becoming stiff and robotic. ‘She's… smarter than I thought. Well to be fair, only an idiot wouldn't see what I'm trying to do.’
“No, of course not. You know I consider this a favor and a pleasure for me. I heard you don't like being in the spotlight?”
“Yes…”
“Think of this as my reward, I'm making you memorize everything for my own personal… torture?” The young knight hearing his own words made him a little disgusted with himself for lying but it was all for the good of two girls who are clearly interested with one another and just need a little push!
“Yes! I'm forcing you to do something you don't like and I'm enjoying every bit of it.” He laughed madly, hiding the nervousness he's feeling. Lord Ein is a good actor but sometimes he just couldn't tell if the blonde girl will know if he's lying.
“You are so weird.”
A stake hurt his heart but he cannot deny that fact. “I would rather you have used the word peculiar. If you so wish to believe me more than this is merely torture and nothing else, I should let you memorize every line there is on the script.”
Analissa's eyes widened.
“No! The prince’s lines are all good! I'm a good prince! Here I'll even read a line in such a princely manner you'll think I'm really a man!” The heroine immediately corrects her stance, standing in the middle of the classroom pouring her heart out to act.
She sets the scene, the Japanese streamer begins to unlock every core memory of her roleplay accounts and collects that energy to be released at this moment.
‘Remember-! Of how cringe you were in your past life!’
“I am indebted to your kindness, princess.” Suddenly, the usual clumsy looking Analissa felt like a proper prince. She acted charming, beautiful and elegant all at the same time. “Your true love's kiss has broken the curse. I am finally me again, a whole person.”
Her voice even seemed different, every action she took- you couldn’t tell that she’s an idiot deep inside!
Analissa gave Lord Ein a wonderful performance, not expecting to have actually memorized almost half of the script and even improved on her acting expressions.
“Tweet! Tweet!” (Losimer) claps with his wings, being immersed with the play.
“Hah… I'm glad you both liked it because that took a lot of mental energy out of me.” The heroine complains, but actually she had fun. “You know after trying out the script and your role- I have never been happier being selected as a tree.”
Lord Ein nods enthusiastically hearing that. “Wonderful, wonderful! That's all the time we have today but we'll have to catch up tomorrow!”
He gives back the script in Analissa's hands and forces her to memorize everything, in exchange for his favor of saving her from the crown prince.
“I am torturing you- yes I have enjoyed it! Now do try and memorize everything because I'll enjoy our next session of practice together, I have learned a lot today.” (Lord Ein) was barely keeping everything together because he was happy with the results of his ‘torture’.
“Thanks for the harmless torture.”
“Oh it won't be harmless, I'm going to hurt your pride.”
…
Later that night… reporting time.
Losimer told what happened to his master who was working on some papers in her office, that their classmate Lord Ein visited and made her memorize the script of their play.
“Hmm… I guess they're practicing. No need to mind it, those two are just friends. Do keep a good eye on him though… but how was Miss Blanchet’s acting like?”
“Tweet.” (Losimer) stuck out his tongue and told her that she should just ask for a private show because he's not telling.
The villainess with faint red color in her cheeks, thought about it for a moment, holding her chin. “...maybe I will after the play.”
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