"That Cat Immortal's dance moves are seriously cool!"
"Now that's street dance!"
Watching the Cat Immortal pull out every stop on stage, the audience clapped and cheered over and over.
As expected of the special public premiere—even the cat's dance had been completely redesigned!
They lost themselves in this grand audiovisual feast, drifting across an ocean of phantom operatics and music of the night.
"My mana's tapped out... it's over for me..."
With his hands on his hips, the Cat Immortal wheezed for breath, barely able to enunciate his lines.
Right at that moment.
In a floor-sweeping gown, breathtakingly gorgeous, the Ash Maiden stepped out with light, graceful strides.
"Oh, what a lovely dress this is!"
She recited, sounding like she was reading poetry.
Her sudden entrance gave the Cat Immortal a fright.
"Thank you, dear Cat Immortal! You are my second parent!"
Talia spoke with tearful gratitude.
At the moment, those opening two lines were all she remembered from the script.
"You're my second parent! Thank you very much!"
The Cat Immortal retorted irritably.
"All right, time to send you off to the ball. Are you ready?"
He went through the motions, prompting the Ash Maiden.
"..."
A protracted silence immediately fell over the stage.
Talia's mind buzzed with static; she could not recall a single word of what came next.
If Lanqi were on stage, they could have served their sentence in jail together. But facing this massive audience all alone, her only instinct was to run.
"Oh dear, this dress seems a bit too flashy. May I go change into something more modest?"
Left with no choice, Talia improvised on the spot. The instant she shouted the line, she bunched up her skirt and turned to sprint backstage.
She had to look at the script one more time!
"Hold on!!"
The Cat Immortal shrieked at the top of his lungs.
"Who said you could?!"
If he let this one run off, his life would end right here on this stage tonight!
Talia froze in her tracks with a guilty conscience. She glanced back at the Cat Immortal, her eyes brimming with sheer, pitiable helplessness.
She truly had no idea what her next line was.
On the other side of the stage.
"Today's performance really does seem a little different from usual."
Whispers rippled through the audience. Quite a few patrons who had attended previous showings noticed the alterations in the staging.
Abigail returned to her seat with lingering dread and sat down.
Even though the replacement actors her friend had sent over felt a bit off tonight, that friend had always been reliable. There was no reason for them to send two clowns just to pull a prank on her.
At the very least, their presence was impeccable.
It was as though they had been born specifically for this production.
Abigail had never felt anything quite like it before.
"Ash Maiden, hurry and board the carriage! Go to the ball and meet your destiny! But you must return before midnight, or the magic will unravel!"
The Cat Immortal urged her.
"I—I'm not ready yet...!"
Talia waved her hands frantically in explanation.
She wasn't sure if that was an actual line, but she genuinely wasn't ready for the next scene!
"The governor... the governor is a demon, isn't he? He must be terrifying, and he might even be a decrepit old monster! I—I'm a human woman in the prime of my youth. It's only natural that I'd be afraid of the governor! So please, give me a little more time to prepare!"
Talia added hurriedly.
The Cat Immortal tilted his head and frowned.
He didn't recall that line being in the script.
Granted, it fit the Ash Maiden's character well enough.
But if you just act however you please, won't the whole production fall into complete chaos?!
"Go forth, Ash Maiden! Tonight, you are the most enchanting princess of all, and your Governor awaits you!"
The Cat Immortal immediately pressed forward with the routine, speeding up his delivery and transforming into an unskippable cutscene. Responding to the leading lady, he raised his wand to signal the stagehands to shift the set.
The surround music swelled once more through the auditorium and the stage.
♪ Take to the air and leap on high~ ♪
♪ Your worries will scatter and say goodbye~ ♪
♪ Nothing thrills quite like taking to the floor~ ♪
♪ Have no fear, for I am your destiny forevermore~ ♪
"Wait—"
Talia looked left and right in sheer panic as the background and scenery began shifting around her.
"Look at how overwhelmed the Ash Maiden is by the miracle, like a simple girl who's never seen the world—she captured that so vividly!"
"This actress has some real skill. I underestimated her just now."
"How on earth does she manage to look like both a village girl and a royal princess at the same time?"
From her seat, Abigail listened to the murmurs of praise and let out a long breath.
Perhaps the leads just hadn't found their groove earlier.
Look, she did have acting chops after all!
From here on out, things should proceed smoothly.
With tears in her eyes, the Ash Maiden climbed into the card house carriage, exchanging farewell glances with the Cat Immortal.
The distant toll of bells from the Governor's Mansion echoed. A projection at the back of the stage signaled the imminent start of the ball. The carriage sped away in a cloud of dust, and the Cat Immortal watched the Ash Maiden depart, wearing a smile of profound relief.
The stage lights dimmed, and the Cat Immortal exited.
When the lights rose again—
The walls were adorned with Age of Gods bas-reliefs and murals, reenacting the Creti myth of mortals and gods dancing together.
Gorgeous full-length mirrors gleamed with pristine brilliance. Clinking glasses, overlapping laughter, and ringing goblets wove together into an opulent symphony of sound and light.
The magnificent palace hall was ablaze with illumination, bathed in music and revelry.
A dizzying spectacle of gold, luxury, and intoxicating perfume.
Noble maidens and high-society matrons bustled about, each striving to outshine the rest.
The clamor and laughter rolled in like an endless tide.
Even without a spotlight, the gaze of the crowd was instantly drawn to a single figure.
A black-haired demon governor in a jade-colored tailcoat stood with a brooding expression, entirely indifferent to the festivities.
"Governor, with so many lovely ladies gathered here today, you ought to cheer up! Whichever one catches your eye, you have our blessings!"
"Indeed, Governor! Go dance with a lady who strikes your fancy; perhaps she will fall in love with you at first sight as well."
Beside him, provincial ministers and dignitaries continued flattering this governor dispatched from the Demon Realm.
To a degree, the governor held a higher standing than any of them. Offending him would undoubtedly trigger an exceptionally severe diplomatic incident.
Yet winning his favor would secure a backer of unfathomable power.
The governor gave a perfunctory nod, reluctantly rose, and began wandering through the crowd.
It seemed as though he were merely humoring those overly attentive noble lords, or perhaps simply trying to clear his head.
"I came to the human realm in the first place solely to escape an arranged marriage orchestrated by my family. Why would I ever marry a half-demon I've never even met? How could I possibly fall for a human woman here? Utterly absurd."
The demon governor delivered his monologue, sighing with weary detachment.
Through his own relentless efforts, Lanqi had managed to memorize the rough outline of his lines, thanks to his unshakeable composure and his extensive experience processing administrative paperwork.
The persona of this demon governor was roughly that of a career-driven noble demon scion. In reality, all he wanted was to excel as governor, yet to appease his family back in the Demon Realm, he had to put on a show of enthusiasm for high society among humans.
Suddenly, an alluring silhouette with ash-gray hair entered the governor's field of vision.
Guests drifted back and forth through the ballroom, their eyes never straying far from the governor.
Yet now, the governor stood still amid the throng, gazing blankly into the distance at the enigmatic beauty whose face drifted in and out of view.
Upon the dessert tower, cheese-coconut pastries were flecked with gold leaf, crystalline dark chocolate was carved into sharp geometric forms, and fruit-wine soufflés gleamed softly atop ice carved from the purest mineral springs, vanishing one after another into the hands of the guests.
She was standing there, utterly absorbed in devouring the sweets.
It seemed the grand ball made her deeply uneasy, and only eating could bring her any comfort.
"How could there be a maiden so pure... paying no heed to power or intrigue at a ball such as this, her heart entirely devoted to savoring fine food..."
The governor murmured.
To be frank, these weren't lines Lanqi could have uttered under normal circumstances.
Fortunately, he kept a straight face.
Talia hadn't eaten dinner, and the pastries were fragrant and delectable. Flush with funds, the Brierda Opera House had even selected top-tier custom pastries for the feast props. As Talia ate, a blissful smile curved her lips, and she gradually forgot she was even on a stage.
Following the governor's gaze, the surrounding guests began glancing toward the ash-haired maiden.
"Heavens, who is that maiden? To possess such peerless beauty!"
A provincial minister gasped in admiration.
"Indeed! To think such pure, otherworldly grace exists in this world. No wonder the governor is entranced. She is truly magnificent—which house's daughter is she?"
Another minister leaned in, asking eagerly.
"Hmph, she must be a princess from some grand duchy. Why else would she dress herself up so ravishingly?"
A noblewoman turned aside jealously, whispering behind her folding fan.
Yet, despite the shift in the room,
Talia remained utterly unbothered.
*Tata, stop eating. It's your line,*
Lanqi reminded her mentally.
"!"
Talia jolted to her senses, suddenly realizing all eyes in the hall were on her.
She looked down at the half-eaten pastry in her hand, shoved it hastily into her mouth, and only then turned around, casting a radiant smile toward the governor.
The moment their eyes met, time seemed to slow.
It was as if they were not meeting for the first time, yet also as if they had never encountered someone so uniquely captivating.
After a lingering beat, a faint smile finally curled the corner of the governor's lips.
"An interesting woman. You have succeeded in capturing my attention."
The governor descended the steps, bathed in a gentle, sacred glow as he strode over to the Ash Maiden.
Every pair of eyes in the ballroom followed the path of his advance.
And the Ash Maiden looked right back at him.
"Why do you look at me so?"
Lanqi asked Talia.
"You're disturbing my meal, sir."
Talia racked her brain trying to recall the plot, fabricating lines that roughly fit the scene.
"Oh?"
Lanqi thought to himself that this was completely off—the original line was supposed to be *'Because you looked at me first, sir.'*
Yet he had no choice but to play along.
"What an amusing answer."
A confident smile played in Lanqi's eyes as he stepped toward her with imposing presence.
Then again, the governor's persona was naturally domineering.
Being rebuffed by a woman like this would only pique his interest even further.
"W-What are you doing coming over here?"
Since she couldn't remember her lines anyway, and seeing that Lanqi showed no intention of stopping, Talia asked in a fluster.
She backed away half a step until her back hit the banquet table, leaving her nowhere to retreat. The governor stood directly before her, boxing her in completely.
"Beautiful *mai-den*, would you grant me the honor of a dance?"
With one hand resting on the banquet table, leaning in so close their bodies nearly brushed, the governor spoke to her with earnest conviction.
His posture was courteous, yet his gaze and bearing were unyielding, offering no room for refusal.
"I..."
Hearing Lanqi place deliberate emphasis on that particular word, Talia felt her heartbeat and blood pressure surge instantly, her chest rising and falling in rapid breaths.
Still, she felt... today's Lanqi was significantly more domineering than usual...
True, the governor was an overbearing role, nothing like her foolish disciple who had never governed anything in his life.
Talia's eyes darted left and right, evading Lanqi's piercing gaze.
Surprisingly, this commanding presence made her heart race a little faster.
Of course, this was only because they were acting.
In reality, even if Lanqi had ten thousand times more courage, he wouldn't dare pin her against a wall.
The governor now waited for the Ash Princess to offer her tender, demure reply.
Even though everyone knew how the scene was supposed to unfold, the audience held their breath for this tender, fluttering moment.
The Ash Princess still hesitated.
"But..."
Being cornered so closely by Lanqi left her thoughts in a tangled mess. She found it harder and harder to remember what she was supposed to say. Her only primal instinct was that she was starving—she hadn't even eaten dinner today before running off to the mafia's turf with Lanqi.
Wait, logically speaking, the Ash Maiden's next line should be...!
Talia suddenly remembered the later plot.
"Could you wait until I finish dinner?"
She replied.
The entire hall went dead silent.
"?"
Lanqi froze, staring at her blankly.
*You can't reject me here, woman!!*
*Declining the invitation to eat is the final scene! Right now we barely know each other, and this is your once-in-a-lifetime chance to change your destiny! You can't be obsessing over food at a time like this!*
Lanqi screamed internally.
What was worse, with Talia throwing him off track like this, what was his next line supposed to be?
He forgot too!
"How about this: I shall keep you company while you finish, and then we dance?"
Sweat beaded on Lanqi's forehead as he forced the words out, doing everything in his power to salvage the scene.
"Very well. Then I must trouble the Governor to wait for me."
Only then did Talia realize she had said the wrong line, nodding in agreement.
Her palm pressed gently against the governor's chest, pushing him away.
She slipped out sideways and looked down at the pastries on the table, turning away so he wouldn't see her burning cheeks.
Confident that the save had succeeded, Lanqi slowly relaxed.
"..."
The other actors on stage maintained serene expressions, though inwardly they were bewildered.
*Wasn't this scene completely different...?*
*Did Miss Abigail alter the blocking at the last minute, and I was the only one who didn't get the memo?*
Regardless, until their own cues arrived, not one of them dared utter a single word.
And so, the governor and every single guest in the ballroom fixed their gazes upon Talia.
Talia picked up a piece of dark chocolate and brought it to her lips, her hand trembling slightly.
She looked away, finding the confection harder to swallow than anything she had ever tasted.
Under the scrutiny of thousands of people...
Every single one of them was watching Talia eat.
How could anyone swallow a single bite under these conditions?!
"..."
Especially with Lanqi wearing that strained expression, struggling with all his might not to burst out laughing at her misery.
*Seriously, Lanqi? You have to mess with me in a place like this too?!*
Her blood pressure spiked again.
Yet Lanqi was gambling on the fact that she couldn't do anything to him on stage, taking full advantage of the opportunity to torment her.
"Is your appetite lacking today, *mai-den*?"
Lanqi asked Talia with apparent concern.
"..."
Talia looked at him, forcing a smile stripped of all anger.
She wanted to ask him: *If thousands of people were staring at you, could you swallow a damn thing?!*
And Lanqi had just cleared his daily quest again.
*Do you really have the guts to pull this nonsense anywhere?!*
The two stood at a standoff on stage.
A faint murmur of confusion rippled through the audience. Nobody understood why the play had suddenly ground to a halt.
*Master, move! You can't just freeze the plot right here!* Lanqi urged her mentally, gradually sensing Talia's stubborn defiance.
If this went on, the audience would start growing suspicious.
*You're the one who steered the dialogue in this direction! Forgetting my lines aside, did you give any thought to how the story would develop after your brilliant save?!* Talia argued back fiercely via telepathy.
*Master, can we review this when we get home? For now, just treat it like card-crafting and work with me!*
*You're clearly laughing at me, yet you want me to cooperate! You're still laughing! You're still laughing!!*
While acting on stage, the two were practically brawling in their minds.
"What's going on?"
"Why did they stop?"
"Did they both forget their lines?"
Seconds ticked by, and the murmurs from the audience grew louder, threatening to cascade into heckling at any moment.
Lanqi realized he couldn't let this drag on.
He caught Talia's hand, while his other hand gently cupped her chin, guiding the pastry she held directly into her mouth.
"Maiden, my patience has its limits. It is time to dance. Consider this your final warning."
In the deep, resonant tone of the governor, Lanqi gazed into Talia's eyes and delivered the line.
"!!"
Talia's eyes widened. Cheeks bulging slightly as she chewed the chocolate, she hadn't expected Lanqi to force-feed her right on stage!
"Whoaaa!"
A sudden cheer erupted from the audience.
This beat hadn't existed in the original script, yet in this setting, it felt entirely natural!
...
In Nistro City.
Smoke drifted from distant chimneys as dinner was prepared in a quiet mansion.
Before the projection screen, Hyperion's brow furrowed slightly as she absently nibbled on melon seeds.
"What's the matter, Hubao?"
Sinora turned to ask.
This was supposed to be a cheerful comedy, yet Hubao looked thoroughly aggrieved.
"Nothing."
Realizing her expression was off, Hyperion hurriedly shook her head with a forced smile.
To be fair, the play was quite well performed.
Yet perhaps she was overthinking it—she couldn't shake an inexplicable sense of déjà vu.
The governor's demeanor and poise carried a distinct flavor of Lanqi from his Rocky McCarthy days, while the Ash Maiden's mannerisms were identical to Tata's.
Watching this performance felt uncomfortably like watching Lanqi and Tata falling in love.
Hyperion felt an ache in her nose and a tightness in her chest, wild thoughts running rampant in her mind.
Still, Talia had always been aloof, keeping a very clear boundary with Lanqi at home. There was no way she would sneak around behind her back and snatch Lanqi like this...
"Hubao, have you finally developed defensive awareness?"
Antanas nudged Hyperion with her elbow.
Naturally, she had noticed it too—the way those two actors performed was far too reminiscent of Lanqi and Talia.
"What are you talking about?"
Hyperion turned to Antanas, her expression doing its utmost to deny it.
"I trust Tata! I trust her one hundred percent!"
Chapter 753