The line rehearsal began.
Act I opened with the marriage of Duke Emir and Reyna. Raiquèn sat quietly in the corner, watching the two actors exchange their lines.
'Isn't it a bit too casual?'
she thought, lowering her gaze to the script.
'Even if it's just a rehearsal, shouldn't they at least put some effort into their tone?'
"Put more emotion into your voices," the director's sharp voice cut in.
Raiquèn startled slightly. It was exactly what she had just been thinking.
"Yes, Signora," Azul and Sheena replied in unison.
"Next," the director instructed.
Raiquèn's eyes flicked down to her script. Ah… Gwen's introduction.
She looked up again, her breath catching as Yeira stepped gracefully toward the center.
"My beloved, meet my one and only daughter, Gwen," Azul said stiffly, his hand gesturing toward her.
Stiff… his acting is still too stiff, Raiquèn narrowed her eyes.
"Hello, Gwen. I am Reyna," Sheena added, her tone slightly improved but still tentative.
Then Yeira lifted her gaze. Slowly, deliberately.
The entire room seemed to shift.
"Hello, Step Mother. I am Gwen. Please take good care of me."
Her words carried weight—not like a recited line, but like truth itself. It was no longer rehearsal. Gwen had stepped out of the pages and into the room. Her tone, her expression, even the subtle tilt of her posture—everything matched the spirit of the script with uncanny precision.
Vanessa's eyes were locked on her. Amazing… she thought, stunned.
Raiquèn thought the same, though she didn't realize she was holding her breath. Her fingers twitched at her side.
'How does she do it? How can she change the entire atmosphere so easily…'
Even Azul and Sheena faltered, caught in Yeira's gravity, before quickly fumbling back to their scripts to continue.
Their line rehearsal slowly transformed into something more than recitation—it felt as if the characters themselves were being breathed into existence.
And all of it circled back to Yeira.
Her presence alone seemed to raise the bar. Even the stiff lines of Azul and Sheena gained shape and weight when spoken opposite her.
'What a talent…' Raiquèn thought, her golden eyes fixed on Yeira.
She doesn't just act—she pulls everyone into her world. It's like she makes the others rise just to keep up with her.
"Alright, that's enough for now," the director finally cut in.
"We'll move to Act II after a thirty-minute break."
She paused, her sharp gaze settling on Azul and Sheena.
"You two—improve your delivery. Don't waste the opportunity you've been given."
"Yes, Signora," the two replied, bowing slightly before retreating to their seats.
"Yeira-san is amazing…" Himeko breathed, eyes wide with genuine admiration.
Raiquèn swallowed and forced her voice steady. "You're right…"
Himeko hugged her arms around herself, her nervous energy palpable. "Urgh… I feel a little scared just thinking about acting next to her."
Raiquèn's lips twitched into a small, uneasy smile.
'If even Himeko feels nervous, then what about me? I have to stand opposite her the most.'
Her gaze drifted back to Yeira, who sat calmly flipping through her script, as if the world around her didn't exist.
'How am I supposed to survive this without falling apart?'
Act II began with Reyna's introduction of Mitsura.
'Okay… let's do this.' Raiquèn steadied her breath, feeling the weight of every eye in the room turn toward her.
"The Duke's daughter…" Sheena began.
In that instant, Raiquèn switched. The shift was seamless—her voice, posture, and gestures no longer belonged to herself but to Mitsura. Every ounce of the character's personality flowed into her, as though she had slipped into a second skin.
"Hm? What about her, Auntie?" Raiquèn tilted her head with Mitsura's playful edge.
Sheena blinked, caught off guard for a heartbeat, before snapping back into character.
"I need you to befriend her." Her voice was sharp, precise, exactly as written.
'She's catching up. That's good.' Raiquèn thought as Mitsura, lips curling into a mischievous smile.
"Isn't she sick already? I heard it from the rumors around the estate."
"We still need to get rid of her if I am to kill the Duke."
"Mmm…" Raiquèn hummed, her golden eyes narrowing with wicked delight.
"Alrighty, Auntie~ I'll do it. But you'll have to give me at least half of what you'll gain…" She leaned forward with a spark of mischief, the words laced with teasing venom.
Sheena froze for a fraction too long, stunned by the sudden weight of the performance. Then, flustered, she forced her line out.
"F-fine. Just get rid of that girl for me."
The director's voice cut through the scene. "Good work."
And nothing more.
'Eh? No feedback? Did I… do well? '
Raiquèn blinked, returning to herself. Quietly, she walked back to her corner.
"Fifteen-minute break. We start Act III after that," the director announced.
"Rai-san! That was hella good!" Himeko bounded up to her.
"Haha… you think so?" Raiquèn scratched her cheek with a sheepish smile.
"Yes! It felt like Mitsura's character came to life right in front of us." Himeko's eyes still shimmered with the thrill of it.
"Hm? Oh, I just kept reading the script over and over. Studied her character until it stuck."
A teasing voice cut in. "Eh? That's all? I thought you had some secret method to share."
Azul leaned over, his script in hand.
"Hahaha, I don't have anything like that," Raiquèn chuckled.
"I see… then maybe you can help me instead? I'm struggling with this part." Azul slid his script toward her, tapping a section.
"Ah, that line—you have to…" Raiquèn began, leaning in to explain.
From her seat, Vanessa studied Raiquèn with interest.
'So this is the rising actress they say is good with method acting, huh? '
She tapped her chin thoughtfully.
'I wonder how she'll feel once the play is over… I should ask her then.'
Across the room, in the quiet of another corner, Éryan leaned toward Yeira.
"She's amazing. She can switch characters in an instant," he murmured.
Yeira didn't glance up, eyes fixed on Act III in her script.
"You two have something in common~" Éryan teased, his tone light.
At that, Yeira's gaze flicked upward, unreadable, before following Éryan's line of sight.
Raiquèn was laughing easily with Azul and Himeko, her golden eyes warm and carefree despite the role she had just embodied moments ago.
Yeira's lips pressed into a thin line. "Hm." She gave no more than that before returning to her script.
Éryan smirked knowingly.
"Not interested in her?" he pressed.
When she gave no reply, he leaned back casually.
"Oh well… it's not like you'd ever be interested in anyone other than acting anyway."