Longge Fortress, Theater Performance Hall.
Amid the audience's continuous whistles and cheers, the curtain slowly descended. Mei wiped the sweat from her forehead and nodded slightly at Irene, who was gazing at her with excited anticipation.
The confirmation made Irene burst into cheers. As soon as the curtain fell, she couldn't resist rushing forward and pulled Mei out with all her might.
"Hahaha, did I actually do a good job?" Mei rolled her eyes in frustration and shoved her away. "Still, you've made some progress—you can perform solo now." "Miss Mei, then... what about me?" asked Roxia, another Witch performer, cautiously.
"You're still a long way from perfection," she said without hesitation. "Your stiff expressions, sluggish movements, emotionless lines, two mistakes in Act II, and one in Act IV—this is classic script-mistake behavior." "Ha ha, Miss May is quite strict," Gait said, stroking his temple. "But the audience seems to be responding well. Listen, the applause hasn't even died down yet." "Most of these are first-time theatergoers. Drama is a novelty to them," May remarked bluntly. "For ordinary performances, those few blunders would've been enough to get Noble booed." She paused. "If you want to make it as an actor, don't settle for temporary success. Only through constant improvement can you stand firm on stage." "Yes, thank you for your guidance!" The crowd bowed in unison.
Mei let out a sigh. "Here we go again," she said, though she couldn't really be considered their drama instructor. "Never mind the trivialities," she mused. "Keep pushing.' Witch Diary 'runs through September, and we've got several more rounds ahead. This is a golden opportunity—don't let it slip away." "Agreed!" A month earlier, Mei had received an official notice from the Ministry of Education, summoning the entire cast to perform at the Changge Fortress. The so-called' entire cast' included a few extras who had accompanied her to the border, along with Irene Hilt.
Perhaps Your Royal Highness and agent Perro had struck a deal, with the theater making a special exception to clear a slot for the production of the "Witch Diary" trilogy. Thus, these amateur actors—so inexperienced they barely qualified as novices—made their grand entrance on the fortress theater's main stage. Normally, even minor supporting roles would have been out of the question, yet now they were cast in pivotal roles, even performing alongside their own star, the Westward Star. It's truly a testament to life's capriciousness.
Back in the background, Mei couldn't help but frown.
The lounge was filled with a noisy crowd, seemingly engaged in a heated argument. When Mei and her group appeared, over a dozen people, led by a woman, quickly gathered around them.
These were all actors from the theater, and the leading lady, Bella Deane, was a familiar name to Mei. She was a relatively well-known actress, working on a different production team from her. Some Noble had considered her the top contender for the Star of the West, but in reality, she consistently outshone her rival in both acting skills and fame.
"Guess what I saw?" Bella circled around Mei and approached Irene. "A bunch of amateur actors who'd sneaked back from some small-town hideout." "What do you mean?" Irene asked, her face full of confusion. Gait, Rosa, and the others froze, taking two steps back in shock.
"Phew," Bella covered her mouth. "Look, she still doesn't know who she is." Her words drew laughter from the crowd. "Then I'll cut to the chase. A city like Long Song Fortress isn't your place, and the Fortress Theater won't host such lowbrow, vulgar third-rate performances. What Witch Diary? Just the desperate howls of a pack of stray dogs. Who'd care about this tasteless show? You'd better all go back to Border Town." "You—" Eileen's face flushed. "What's third-rate performance? Didn't you hear the audience's cheers?" "Ah, the audience?" Bella sneered. "You call those who work with mud, hoes, and furnaces 'audience'? Don't make me laugh! Even if they just grabbed a few monkeys for a walk, they'd cheer loudly! If tickets weren't free, would they have the money to watch your show?" "I..." Eileen opened her mouth, but didn't know how to respond.
"The theater's revenue has plummeted by 40% just to accommodate your three weekly performances—this is affecting us too. Noble won't even come to see our shows if they're scheduled back-to-back with yours!" Bella raised her voice. "Who would want to sit on chairs covered in mud and grease? I wouldn't want to step into a theater in ruins after a group of country bumpkins 'revelry." The other party was clearly looking for trouble, Mei thought. The sudden intrusion of the small-town troupe had indeed displaced many performers, but Bella Dean wasn't much affected. From acquaintances, she'd learned that after leaving Long Song Fortress, the theater had deliberately positioned her as the new Western Star, so canceling her lead role was out of the question.
Bella's actions reveal a clear motive. While she appears to be scolding Irene and the others, her true intention is self-defeating—if they retreat, she won't be able to continue the Witch Diary solo and will have to return to Border Town in disgrace. By defeating herself in a direct confrontation, she not only secures the actors' chances to perform but also elevates her own prestige, ultimately cementing her status as the new Westward Star.
But she never let herself be a stepping stone for others.
"The theater's revenue has dropped. Are you serious?" Mei turned around and said nonchalantly. "Since ticket-free admission has left the theater in the red, why do you make such naive assumptions? The theater operators have undoubtedly reached an agreement with Your Royal Highness and Lord Pei Luo. The shortfall will naturally be covered by Border Town City Hall. This is a commercial contract, not a game of pretend. You should think before you shout here." "You... are talking nonsense!" "Besides, it's just your bunch of amateur actors with poor acting skills who've lost revenue," she smiled faintly. "I once performed at the Abelon Theater in the capital—a tent theater. On the day of the show, it happened to rain lightly, yet the Noble seats were still full. So you claim the commoners' reluctance to attend is due to them? No, they just don't like making special trips to see a bunch of monkeys perform." "..." A strange silence fell over the scene. Not only did no one stand up to criticize her, but not even a single person offered an explanation.
"Finally, you claim 'Witch Diary' is vulgar and crude—a desperate howl from a lost soul?" Mei's lips curled into a cold smile. "I may have forgotten to mention this: Your Royal Highness wrote the script. Do you mean His Highness's ideas are crude? Insulting the Noble Royal Family carries the death penalty for tongue-lashing. Still insisting on your stance?" She turned to the crowd behind Bella. "Or is anyone among you willing to try?" Her gaze sent over a dozen actors retreating in unison.
"Enough!" Bella gritted her teeth. "You shouldn 't come back to Border Town once you've left! Do you think I don't know, Mei? You went to that damn place not to meet that idiot Irene, but to meet Fuxiao—" Her voice cut off abruptly as a crimson palm print appeared on her left cheek. "You... you actually dared to hit..." Mei gasped, her breath catching. "Whew, I must have lost my cool. This might land me in trouble."
Sure enough, the two actors behind Bella emerged. "Miss May, this is going too far." "You know how appearance matters to an actor, don't you? I think you should at least apologize to her." An apology? That would only prove her wrong. Mei sneered inwardly. Though impulsive, she felt no need to apologize at all.
With a gloomy expression, she scrutinized the two slick-haired, powdered-faced men, her mind involuntarily recalling Carter Lannis's words.
"Men may be strong, but they have vulnerabilities too. An attack on their eyes or throat can leave them defenseless in an instant—let alone their legs. With quick reflexes and decisive strikes, you could easily take down a man far stronger than you." Though she couldn't recall how she'd brought up this topic, she was already poised to strike, just waiting for the two to draw closer...
Just then, the lounge door was abruptly forced open, and a heavily armored Knight burst in, trailed by several armed warriors with long spears. As they entered, the spears were already pointed at the crowd.
"Have you heard that someone here is slandering Your Highness Roland and plotting against Your Highness's series?" Mei froze, blinking her eyes as if seeing a vision. Yet nothing changed—she still caught a sneaky smile from the Knight before her, who was none other than Carter Lannis.