Chapter 67: The Play (XI).
Continuing the play, the princess was being dragged by the Duke of the north- Pierre as he plans to continue with the wedding so that he may one day be crowned king when the king passes.
With the poison he's prepared.
"You're not bringing me back!" The princess struggles and tries to be free from his grip.
The Duke of the north pulled her so strongly that she almost fell on the floor.
"Come with us without resisting, and I'll tell your father the reason why you left that altar was just because of wedding nerves." He threatens the princess, beginning to become more annoyed by her as the minutes they spend together grows.
She's one piece of work.
A little feisty, so not his type.
"...it wasn't just nerves. I know that you don't love me and you just want the crown." The point was taken, there was no denying of his grandmaster plan.
So the Duke laughed and patted her head, like a rabbit being held by the ears. "I know, princess. It doesn't take an investigator to know that fact so I'm having a hard time adjusting to your attitude."
"Behave and follow. Then when your father dies, I'll even kindly divorce you if that's what you want."
Divorce?
Hell!
She wouldn't want to do anything with him! It was clear that his true colors weren't anything good-!
If she gets married to him, even if she follows his orders, something in her stomach is telling her to run and not accept his proposal.
"Wait... what do you mean by, if my father dies in a few years?" She covers her mouth in a shock, finally connecting it all together. "...you're going to assassinate him aren't you?"
"Huh, someone won the jackpot! Hahaha...! But naive princess, has anyone ever told you- that you talk too much."
"I'll tell my father about this-!"
The Duke of north cuts her off by wall slamming the carriage.
Thud!
"And who do you think he'll believe huh?! The daughter who ran away and left his husband at the church or the man who will save his kingdom with all of his wealth?"
"The princess, hearing the revelations, cries feeling powerless being unable to do anything to save herself- she could only hope that someone could save her in such an unfortunate state." The narrator could feel the tension arising, the audience as expected didn't like this part of the play at all.
They had to commend the student that was playing the Duke of the north because honestly, he acted such a great villain!
"My father will believe me-"
"Don't lie to yourself, princess."
Lady Evelyn, who was playing the role- the tears that we're falling seemed to be a bit too real.
"Your father... is very angry with you. So angry that he doesn't have the patience to talk with you when we get back."
"He'll believe me! I know my father! Once I tell him all of your plans, you won't have it your way!" She tries kicking down the carriage door out of anger, but the Duke of the north stops her before she could do anymore damage.
"Ah, ah, ah. Never underestimate the power of money. He'll be on my side every step of the way, especially from his impending doom." The Duke gestures for the guard outside the carriage to stay close.
The princess realizing that there truly was no other way to escape, gives up and decides to follow for now.
"Hmph, now suddenly you stay quiet." He scoffs, opening the passenger window and tells the driver their destination. "To the kingdom, and fast."
"Yes, milord. Hyah!"
The curtain closed and the rest of the students helped carrying out the carriage that they did for the scene.
...
Behind the scenes...
"Ugh good work, everyone else get ready for the next scene. It's going to be another musical number." (Lady Serene) was having headaches ordering people around, granted she was used to doing that but not all at once.
Directing a play is not so easy.
"I need tea..." She massages the sides of her temples, reaching for a cup of water that was on the side as she watches the villainess ride off into their makeshift carriage.
Once the scene was over everyone else got down the moment the curtain closed.
Lady Serene Sinclair was about to review the next parts of the script but she felt someone tapping her shoulder.
"Serene."
"What-"
Her eyes went wide as she realized it was her best friend, looking tired and eyes a bit puffy from the crying scene.
"Evelyn! G-Great work out there, the audience loves your performance." She was startled by her randomly walking up but still it has been a while since the last time they've talked to one another.
It's because she's been hanging out with the commoner girl more than her now.
"Thank you, I came here to ask- to confirm my suspicion. That person inside the frog costume, that's Miss Blanchet isn't it?" (Lady Evelyn) thanked her quickly, but it was clear that she had her priorities straight.
Lady Serene studies her best friend's face before nodding along to confirm. "...yes, she is."
"I knew it."
The villainess' eyes seemed to have sparkled after hearing that the frog prince is indeed- the skinny looking commoner girl.
"It seems no one had told you, honestly we were all in shock the moment she volunteered to be the prince." The lackey remembers that moment, honestly, the way that the commoner girl was able to volunteer rather confidently and selflessly was... alright. "We were lucky that she remembers all of the prince's lines or else the play wouldn't continue, we'll be losing faces towards all the nobility that came to watch out okay."
"Especially everyone's parents." (Lady Serene) looks onto the crowd of seats, full of people but... On the section where their parents were supposed to sit- there was the last name written 'Sinclair', and it was empty.
Lady Evelyn was a bit dazed watching the heroine perform but managed to answer weakly. "Lord Loucrat helped her practice."
"He what-?!"
The lackey almost shouted to which everyone around her quickly shushed her up. "Shhh!"
Lady Serene with a reddened and embarrassed face, coughs and apologizes for her sudden outburst.
"Ahem, apologies- but how come am I hearing of this now? He helped the commoner girl practice his role? That he's supposed to do for our play-" The lackey asked a lot of questions, left and right because she felt like she was being left out on what was happening.
"Why in the world would he do that? It doesn't make sense."
Truly if she knew the true reason why, it would be too obvious to spot.
That idiot must've been planning this. No one just disappears and just conveniently has a backup ready in the back.
They should've done that honestly, but everyone was confident in Lord Ein and his perfect attendance.
"Well if that's the case, I reckon he's somewhere around here watching the play. I bet he's got some hilarious reason why he's doing all of this." The hilarious part was sarcastic, it's not hilarious because what he just did almost jeopardized the play.
Hearing no reply or comment, the lackey turns to the villainess who looked like she was stuck on only looking at one place.
To Miss Analissa Blanchet's figure.
"..." She was watching her act out her lines with the softest and adoring look on her face- as if she was a maiden in love.
A maiden in love?
"...wait won't these two kiss if they get to the ending?" (Lady Serene) felt her world breaking apart after realizing the mistake she's going to make.
For making Analissa Blanchet as the frog prince.
...
"What... happened?" (Analissa) who was inside the frog suit had to act all hurt as she held her ribs groaning in pain. "He kicked me so hard I think he broke one of my ribs."
"Ngh... wait- where's the princess?!" He looks around, seeing himself alone and still outside of the inn. "They took her."
The frog tried standing up to walk but she couldn't even move a single muscle.
Thud!
She smacks the floor of the theater, with a fist.
"I can't... move my legs." Being stomped on by the Duke, truly her little brittle bones of a leg won't be able to move.
Soon, a few glittering light effects were made by the background effects.
"Quite the predicament you're facing, isn't it frog prince?" A familiar snickering could be heard, the witch appears-
And it was Harriot Yates, feeling a little awkward seeing the heroine on the floor instead of Lord Ein.
"You-"
"Calm down, is it really the time to be angry with me? When you have your princess being dragged back to her palace to be wedded?" The witch bends down and watches as the selfish and arrogant prince was starting to learn its lesson.
The frog prince stops his following words of curses towards the witch realizing that she was right. He doesn't have time to dawdle and argue!
"Ngh... you're right. I don't have time for you right now, I need to get to her." The frog began dragging itself using his webbed hands, slowly he moved.
Gritting his teeth as his body grinds with the rocks and soil.
"How do you think you're going to get there with your tiny little legs being broken?"
"It's better than doing nothing. I finally found someone who sees the same world as I. She's a girl who... high... despite everything she went through she still sees the world in a great light and-!"
The witch eagerly leans in to hear what comes next.
"And?"
"I love her."
The audience gasps, covering their mouths. How romantic! A handsome frog prince, willing to break his legs and crawl for you!
Farrah wasn't sold on the love story though.
"I know that but I'm scared she doesn't feel the same and now- I can't do anything with these broken frog legs!"
"Well then with your lovely reason, that changes everything. How about we make a little deal?" The witch, with just a flick of her wand foxes the frog prince's broken legs and Analissa stands up unexpectedly.
"You have a few days before you turn back into a frog, if you manage to get your princess and let her give you a true love's kiss- your original human form will be retained. But if you do not achieve your happy ending-! Hahaha! Then you'll forever be a frog and become my little plaything for all eternity."
Analissa swallows the lump on her throat.
Man, being a frog for all eternity sucks.
"Truly, do you think she feels the same way about you?" The witch asks, raising her brow. Lady Harriot laughs mockingly as the frog shakes his head.
"...I will accept that curse just as long she doesn't get married to that man. I do not care if she feels the same." (Analissa) weakly confesses her love for the princess. "All I know is that she does not wish to be tied down. I want to see the princess happy, because I know deep down I have fallen."
"I love the princess... and she is all that matters!" The frog prince yells earning a lighthearted chuckle from the witch.
She pokes the frog's head with her wand, teasing him. "Who knew you grew a heart after all those years of being a frog, run along now your time is ticking."
A flash of light blinds everyone, to let the audience know that the frog's human form has been achieved.
...
"My eyes..." (Farrah) looks away and Lord Ein was staring at the light like the masochist that he is, enjoying the stinging pain it brings to his eyes.
"Wonderful, bravo- I am truly a genius director." (Lord Ein) was enjoying watching the play unfold with his own eyes.
The curtain closes, leaving that part on a cliffhanger.
Thank you to my patreon! These are the awesome people that help us make better quality chapters and art!
Xander Dugi-Lagos
PlanetMDX
Crazy Ness
Couch_Potato
Seralp
SharkByte
Ryder
Luis
Drac_Sage
Asteria
Ghostricktower
Agr701
Demi
You can join Patreon to check out the latest chapters, art and many more! We are in need for your financial help! Please support us by voting on the story, sharing it or if you want to donate please do tell me! Thank you so much for reading otome game!