Aglaea answered the call.
A slick, oily voice came from the other end. Just hearing it was enough to make Aglaea remember that bastard greasy councilman.
"Ah, Aglaea, my dear child, I hope this call isn't disturbing you."
Cinnati's voice carried that pretended warmth, thick with grease.
Aglaea remained calm, though her tone couldn't conceal its chill. "Councilman Cinnati, 'disturbing' is far too mild a word."
Cinnati merely chuckled ambiguously.
At this point, two smart people no longer needed to test each other with more direct words.
Aglaea asked plainly, "Were these people sent by you? I'd really like to know, which fire safety regulation is the Okhema Theatre supposedly failing to meet?"
"That's not important."
Cinnati let out a light laugh. "To be honest, I've been keeping an eye on Okhema for a long time, watching you young folks… hmm, make a fuss. Quite innovative, commendable spirit."
Aglaea said nothing, only sinking into a cold silence.
Cinnati continued, "But your ideas are too rebellious. In the end, you won't get far. Those two plays of yours, Heart of the Spring and I was once in Arcadia, I've seen them. Very energetic."
"Although…"
"In the eyes of some of my old-fashioned friends, they come across as rather 'frivolous,' not 'profound' enough."
Aglaea clenched her fist, her knuckles turning pale.
Cinnati seemed oblivious to her silence, or perhaps simply didn't care.
He went on, "To these friends, lively as they may be, your works lack the weight and soul of true orthodox Greek drama."
Aglaea finally couldn't hold back, her voice laced with icy sharpness. "The value of art should be judged by the audience. If the audience likes it, that's orthodoxy."
Cinnati burst out laughing. "Of course, of course! The audience is the foundation. But guiding the audience, defining value, that ultimately requires professionals like us, don't you think?"
Aglaea replied with biting sarcasm, "Just like what you're doing now? Defining value? Deciding what counts as good or bad? No wonder young people won't even look your way anymore. Thanks to you, theatres in this land are already on their deathbed."
Cinnati didn't mind her mockery at all. His tone even turned more direct. "Exactly. That's why I value you. I truly appreciate Okhema's potential. I can't stand those old relics either. That's why the troupe needs your productions."
"With my help, I was once in Arcadia and Heart of the Spring will explode in popularity nationwide."
"All young people will be talking about theatre."
"And all you need to do is work with me."
"As long as you attribute Okhema's achievements to me, I'll have enough credit to challenge those decaying old fossils."
"Once I gain more power in the Arts Council, all the council's premium resources, connections, national-level performances, even substantial creative funding, "
"All of it will be directed toward Okhema. We'll make Okhema the golden emblem of Greece's new era of theatre!"
Cinnati's voice brimmed with temptation. Every promise he made would be a tremendous lure for anyone in the field.
However, Aglaea remained calm amidst that temptation, unmoved. She simply asked, "And the price?"
"Heh."
Cinnati chuckled softly over the phone. "For the sake of these interests, sometimes compromises must be made. While attacking those old fossils, we also need to soften up to them a little, add in some elements they'd like to see."
His answer was exactly what Aglaea expected.
This was why she had never bowed to the Arts Council before.
Compromise? New theatre was born precisely by breaking away from those old idiots' rigid ideas.
Now they were supposed to put those ideas back in?
What for? Naturally, for Cinnati's own career.
He treated Okhema entirely as his personal achievement-generator.
By leveraging Okhema's current momentum among young people, he could gain their support and climb to a higher position within the council.
At the same time, for the old fogeys within the council, Okhema became his bargaining chip, something he could offer in exchange for power.
Those old men certainly coveted Okhema's accomplishments and potential future, but it wouldn't change their rigid views on theatre and philosophy.
At a moment like this, if Cinnati declared that he could "set Okhema back on the right path," he would earn their appreciation.
This was the "compromise" he spoke of.
A two-way feast. As for ideals, reform, art,
None of that mattered to Cinnati. Just as his promises suggested, if she agreed, Okhema would gain massive resources.
Aglaea believed that Okhema truly could become the golden nameplate of Greece's new theatre era, a sacred landmark.
But at the same time, Okhema would rot.
Just like the countless theatres before it, those that innovated greatly, then accepted the council's intervention and surrendered.
Piece by piece, through Cinnati's repeated compromises with the council for political power, Okhema would become mediocre, losing all appeal to the young.
Eventually, it would hang as a lofty plaque in some hall, nothing more than a tool used by these people to define value, to dictate what is "good" and what is not.
And one day, when Greece once again had a theatre trying to modernize the artform, they would say: "You're doing it wrong. You should follow Okhema's example."
Aglaea had long made up her mind. She said lightly, "I refuse."
Cinnati wasn't surprised. He smiled. "Aglaea, it's good for young people to have pride, but you should also learn to read the situation. In Greece, certain rules can't be avoided just because you want to avoid them."
"Without the Council's support, even your performance license can be revoked."
"A theatre without the right to perform, how far can it go?"
"No matter how good a story is, it must be seen by the audience."
"A story unseen is worthless."
He deliberately paused for a moment to give Aglaea enough time to digest the threat in his words, and only then continued:
"Fire safety is just the first step. Think about it carefully. For the sake of that bit of stubbornness of yours, do you think it's worth gambling the entire theater's future?"
"My suggestion won't stay valid for long. I hope that the next time we talk, you can bring a more mature decision."
After Cinnati finished saying this… He hung up the phone on his own.
In the small office, Aglaea set down her phone and closed her eyes in exhaustion.
Noise sounded from outside the door.
Aglaea got up and walked to the window to look down.
A number of people had gathered at the theater entrance, local residents who had become genuine fans of their plays over the recent months.
In this quiet place with nothing much to do… Unknowingly, every performance by Okhema had become a widely talked-about event, something everyone was excited about.
"Fire safety?"
"How many days will repairs take? The next performance, I already bought my ticket."
"Don't tell me we won't get to watch it…"
"I've been looking forward to it for so long."
A group of people stared worriedly at the notice saying the theater failed fire-safety inspection.
Tribios and Hyacine were doing their best to calm everyone down.
"Please believe us, we'll handle this as soon as possible!"
"Everyone, please don't be disappointed. If you've already bought tickets, you can get a refund, or wait until the next scheduled performance."
But their explanation didn't satisfy the residents. Their responses were unexpected.
"It's not about the money, Miss Hyacine. We just genuinely want to watch the plays."
"Okhema's tickets have always been cheap. A few times they were even free. That's really not the issue."
"Yeah, we just love Okhema's performances and the theater!"
"We won't refund our tickets. We just hope the theater can resume performances as soon as possible."
"You two… can you tell us whether the theater is facing some kind of difficulty? If there is, you must tell us."
"We all live in this small town. If there's any way we can help, we will."
"Because of the theater, this dull little town has become lively again recently. Even people from other places have started coming here."
"That's right! It's all thanks to the theater. If you're short on money, you can organize a donation drive. We may not be able to contribute much, but we can definitely help the theater get through this."
It started with a few passersby discovering the situation, but word spread, one to ten, ten to a hundred.
More and more people gathered at the theater entrance.
Hyacine and Tribios kept explaining that it was only a fire-safety issue and the performance was merely being postponed.
But people's reactions left the two of them stunned.
An old woman leaning on a cane, supported by her granddaughter, spoke slowly:
"Child… I've been watching plays in this town since I was young. All those big-city theater troupes came and went, again and again. Only your troupe stayed here all this time…"
"You brought back the feeling I had when I watched plays in my youth. Heart of the Spring moved me deeply. Please, you must keep going."
A few local young people rushed over and said to Hyacine, "We've already created a new topic for the theater on social media. Lots of people are paying attention. If a petition is needed, we can organize it at any time."
The owner of the grocery store next door pushed over a cart filled with bread and drinks. "The theater has brought life back to our town. Even my business has improved. If you need anything, just say the word."
Hyacine and Tribios, faced with more and more people, had no idea how to respond to such passionate expectations.
At the window, Aglaea's vision grew blurry.
The life force of theater on this land was just that strong. In this ordinary little town, Okhema wasn't merely a theater anymore.
It was the topic of elderly folks' conversations over tea, the best dating spot for young couples, the source of inspiration for children…
It was the symbol of the town's revival.
Aglaea wiped the wetness from the corner of her eye, but her lips curved into a firm smile.
These sincere voices, this genuine affection, were more valuable than any fame.
Real artistic power has never come from a committee's stamp, it comes from the hearts of ordinary people sitting in the audience.
Never… bow to them!
Aglaea turned around, her gaze unwavering.
At worst, she would be displaced again. At worst, she would relive her childhood memories.
It didn't matter… She had already gone through it once.
The heartfelt love of the townspeople made Aglaea even more determined to become the pioneer who would reform Greek classical arts away from the committee's control.
Okhema… would absolutely not disappear.
She had already prepared for the worst outcome. She only needed time to deliver her decision to everyone.
...
Meanwhile, Furina was in her room, talking to Xia Wen on the phone.
She had already told him everything that happened today.
And Xia Wen finally let out a breath of relief.
But his tone was serious.
"Don't scare me like that again."
Furina, who had been puffing her cheeks in frustration, froze for a moment when she heard that.
It was the first time she had heard her boss speak with such seriousness.
But the worry hidden in his words made her instinctively lower her head, her voice softening.
"…Mm. I know. I won't do that again."
Xia Wen sighed. "Alright, don't worry too much. I'm here. In a bit, check how the people at Okhema react."
Furina quickly nodded. "I understand."
After a brief silence, Xia Wen spoke seriously again: "If what happened this morning happens again, you must report it immediately."
"After all… I can't do without my assistant director."
He said the last sentence in a joking tone. But Furina suddenly felt a strange emotion rising within her, her ahoge even stood up.
"W-Why… why are you suddenly saying something like that?!" Furina stammered.
"Nothing much, just telling you."
Xia Wen laughed, then straightened his tone: "Anyway, stay in touch. I'm going to hold a small meeting first. If nothing unexpected happens, what Okhema experienced today will not happen again."
"Show your usual self. Convince everyone. Keep everyone calm."
Thinking of everyone at Okhema, the strange feeling stirred up by the boss quickly settled.
She nodded earnestly. "I… I'll do my best."
...
T/N: Sorry if anyone from Greece is offended by this chapter. Just take is as AU.