"I don't want to."
I immediately refused when my manager, Ayra, told me that I was being invited to play the main lead in the theater production My Beloved Muse.
I rolled my eyes and tossed the envelope back onto her desk.
She groaned and exhaled, looking both stressed and tired of my stubbornness.
"It's not a matter of what you want or don't want, Yeira. The company wants you to accept it—someone from Juilliard will be attending and watching the play," she said, massaging her temples.
It's always been like this. Mediaset keeps pushing me around, never giving me a choice in what I actually want to do. They control everything—what movies I take, what shows I attend, even what appearances I make.
Mainly because the owner of the agency is my uncle. He's arrogant and greedy, a bastard who'll do anything to get what he wants, even if it means forcing his own niece to act.
It makes me sick and disgusted—knowing I'm playing right into his hands, yet powerless to escape.
I could still hear Ayra and her assistant trying to persuade me, their voices fading into background noise.
I just couldn't bring myself to accept it. It's not that I hate live theater plays—it's just that I don't want to keep entertaining my uncle's whims.
It's suffocating.
I stood up. Ayra called out to me, but I ignored her. I left the room, the only sound following me was the click of my heels against the polished floor.
From the far end of the hallway, I spotted Éryan—a friend of mine since childhood. Éryan has an androgynous face, strikingly beautiful. His presence alone could turn heads, maybe even more because of his condition.
"You rejected it?" he asked, walking beside me and matching my pace.
"I don't want it," I said simply.
"You know your uncle will fire your manager if she doesn't succeed in persuading you, right?"
I knew it. I knew it too well. I've already gone through countless managers—I've lost track of how many. If my uncle doesn't get what he wants, he doesn't take it out on me. He takes it out on the people around me.
"How annoying," I mumbled to myself.
Then Éryan handed me an envelope. I looked at it for a moment before he spoke.
"Think about it again, Yeira."
He said it while looking straight into my eyes. I exhaled, then took the envelope from his hand before getting into the car headed to my condo.
When I arrived at my condo, I placed the envelope and my bag on the kitchen counter before heading to the fridge to grab a can of soda.
I opened it and took a sip, feeling the cold fizz and bubbles burst in my mouth.
Then my phone buzzed with a notification.
6 missed calls from Mom
2 new messages from Talia
I turned off airplane mode and placed the phone beside my bag.
My eyes landed on the envelope again. I stared at it for a moment, debating whether it even deserved my attention.
With a sigh, and no other choice left, I picked it up and walked to the sofa in the living room. I grabbed the remote and turned on the TV.
A groan escaped my lips as I leaned back, feeling the soft cushions sink against my back.
On the TV, some kind of interview was playing—voices blending into the background.
Then my gaze fell back to the envelope. I opened it and pulled out the papers inside, skimming through them one by one as the muffled sound of the television filled the room.
My eyes narrowed at the details. They'd already sent me a script in advance, even though that was supposed to be given after accepting the role.
Meaning—they were really forcing this on me.
I clenched my fist, irritation bubbling up, and crumpled the paper that stated I'd been cast as the main lead. Then I threw it across the living room.
"Hah..."
I scoffed under my breath, frustration twisting inside me.
"For how long do I have to put up with this?"
"Here comes the Showbiz Minute! Today we have with us the Rising Star Actress, Raiquèn Xy Ignazio-Kanazora!"
The host's voice blended into my ears as background noise until the name caught my attention. I looked up at the TV.
There she was—the so-called Rising Star of Italy. I'd heard of her multiple times already. They call her the Queen of Method Acting, which I find a bit reckless, considering the consequences of diving too deep into a role.
The camera zoomed in closer as they began her interview.
Her hair was a striking shade of red, braided neatly over one shoulder. Not that it was my first time seeing her—I'd watched several of her movies and series before. And, admittedly, she really is a good actress.
The camera focused on her again as she laughed. Her smile was bright and genuine—dazzling, even. I couldn't tell if it was real or just another performance, but either way, it shone through the screen.
Then my eyes drifted back to the crumpled paper on the floor. A familiar name printed there caught my attention.
I leaned forward, picked it up, and smoothed the paper slightly.
"Raiquèn Xy Ignazio-Kanazora…"
I whispered her name under my breath. It rolled off my tongue naturally, though it left a strangely bitter taste.
Apparently, she was also invited to join the play—and she'd be portraying Mitsura, one of the central characters.
I crossed my legs and leaned back against the sofa, staring at her name… then at her smiling face on the TV.
"Should I go and meet her again?"
I murmured, eyes still fixed on the screen.
....
"We're late because of you, Yae~"
Éryan complained beside me as we walked into the La Scala Theater in Milan, Italy.
"Just shut up," I muttered, my gaze fixed ahead.
When the staff noticed us, they immediately straightened up and guided us toward the backstage room.
As soon as we entered, an annoying silence filled the space, the click of my heels echoing against the polished floor. Everyone was already seated, and the Director, who was mid-sentence, paused to stare at us.
She commented on our tardiness, and suddenly, all heads turned our way.
Before I could respond, I heard faint murmurs and whispers from the right side of the front row. I didn't bother looking. Instead, I bowed slightly and apologized formally to the Director.
"Very well, please take a seat,"
She said, her tone softening instantly. Of course it did. It's not like she could scold us anyway — they were the ones who forced this role onto me. Starting a fight now would only make her look foolish.
I glanced at the two empty seats waiting for us and at the two girls sitting in front of them. One wore a cap, facing forward attentively as the Director resumed talking.
Her red hair flowed freely down her back.
She wore a simple black windbreaker — casual, almost too casual for an audition like this.
I crossed my legs and leaned back, staring at her perfect posture instead of paying attention to whatever the Director was rambling about.
Then came the introductions. I half-listened, pretending to care as each actor and actress stood up to introduce themselves.
Boring.
Utterly boring. I was already regretting agreeing to this.
It looked like each agency sent two of their talents, but when it came to Roskow Agency...
My gaze drifted to the girl in front of me again.
She seemed to be alone. But the blonde sitting beside her — who was she? A friend, maybe?
Then the blonde stood up.
"I'm Himeko Lan," she said.
Ah. So it was her. I knew that name. A decent actress — though she'd shine brighter with proper guidance.
The red-haired girl flinched slightly.
Was she next?
I smirked to myself. Let's see.
Without warning, I stomped on Éryan's foot beside me. He jolted up in pain, the chair creaking loudly.
He shot me a brief glare but composed himself quickly before introducing his name and agency with his usual grace.
Meanwhile, my eyes were on her — the red-haired girl. She turned to look at Éryan, and even from her side profile, she was flawless.
She really does live up to that "Rising Star" title, huh.
How annoyingly beautiful.
Then Éryan sat down, and it was my turn.
"I am Yeira Inès Lefevre Monteval, from the Mediaset TXP Agency," I said plainly.
And then, I looked at her.
Her golden eyes met mine — bright, sharp, and steady. For a brief moment, it felt like the world stilled.
Her lips parted slightly, maybe in surprise.
I quickly looked away and sat down, breaking the connection before I could drown in those golden hues any longer.
Then she stood up and straightened her posture.
"I am Raiquèn Xy Ignazio-Kanazora, from the Roskow Agency."
I stared at her — longer than I usually would at anyone.
Unknowingly, she caught my attention, though I couldn't quite tell why.
Maybe because I've already seen and heard of her before?
Is that it?
I'm not sure. But one thing I do know — her voice was soft, almost melodic.
It wouldn't surprise me if she could sing.
With that kind of voice, she could draw anyone in.
The meeting went on afterward. Apparently, they were distributing the scripts today, though I didn't need one since I already had my own copy at home.
Éryan, of course, stood up to get ours even after I told him not to.
He's as pushy as ever.
Then, from the far corner, I heard a light giggle.
There they were — Himeko and Raiquèn.
Himeko had her arms wrapped around Raiquèn's neck in a cheerful hug.
Are they that close already?
I narrowed my eyes slightly, watching them until Raiquèn's gaze suddenly met mine.
For a brief moment, we just stared at each other — neither looking away.
Then I broke the connection first and turned to Éryan, who was handing me my copy of the script.
Still… she's an interesting one.
I glanced down at the title on the front page.
Mitsura, huh?
Raiquèn…
A small, amused smile almost tugged at my lips before I caught myself.
Instead, I took one last glance at the two figures walking away.
She really would look good in anything she wore.
I thought to myself, before Éryan's rambling voice snapped me back to reality.