Chapter 70

"Sorry I'm late!"

『I'm thinking of getting you to pay back the favor from the tea party. Come to our usual empty classroom after school today!』

That's what she said that morning.

In the empty classroom where she was summoned by Rine, Cecilia was facing a single booklet. In the middle of the white paper, it only said, "The Ashen Night and the Dawn of Morning (New Translation) Prospero Kingdom Myth."

"Um, Rine. What is this?"

"It's a script."

"A script?"

Cecilia shifted her gaze from Rine back to the booklet. Flipping through the pages, she saw that each page was meticulously filled with characters and their lines.

Rine, seeing Cecilia's stunned expression, slapped her hand down in front of her and raised the corners of her lips.

"I want you to act in the play."

"Huh? A play?"

"Yes. A play."

She said something outrageous with a heart mark at the end of her words, and Cecilia let out a shocked, "Eeeeeh!?"

"What do you mean, a play!? You can't be serious, turning the content of that book into a play!? No way! I can't do it!!"

"No, that's not it! If you ask me if I have such a plan, I do, but this time it's different! Look at the title properly."

"Huh?"

"Doesn't it say 'Prospero Kingdom Myth'? This time, it's a very, very wholesome myth play!"

Cecilia looked at Rine with a face that clearly said she was even more confused.

Is she talking about the myth of the goddess and the devil that is the origin of the Divine Descent Festival? If so, why does she need to do something like this? Moreover, looking closely, the author of the script is listed as 'Neil,' which is the name she uses when writing BL novels.

Rine raised her index finger at the puzzled Cecilia.

"Actually, I got the royalties from the book, and I'm thinking of using that money to put on a play at the orphanage!"

"At the orphanage?"

"Yes!"

Rine clapped her hands, looking excited.

"Isn't it almost time for the Divine Descent Festival? Then, plays based on myths will start everywhere, right? I want the girls to see them too!"

By "girls," she must mean the girls at the orphanage where she grew up, the Sigony Orphanage. Indeed, it would be difficult for all the children at the orphanage, which doesn't have much money, to go see a play. Even if they had the money, it wouldn't be practical for the sisters to take many children to the opera house, where gentlemen and ladies gather.

"We'll gather the neighbors and have a big, festive event! The place is spacious, so I think quite a few people will come!"

"Ha..."

"The stage setup is still under consideration, but I plan to build a simple stage with wooden scaffolding outdoors! It depends on the estimate, but we'll see!"

Cecilia exhaled, realizing that Rine had even gotten an estimate.

Given the level of preparation, it seemed there was no way for Cecilia to refuse. No matter how she tried to decline, she would end up being dragged into it and forced to do things Rine's way.

Ignoring Cecilia's feelings, Rine leaned forward.

"Anyway, the important part is the actors. When I talked to Jade, he said, 'If that's the case, I'll introduce you to a theater troupe that can be hired at a low price'! But, the reason for the low price is the problem..."

"Problem?"

"Actually, the main actor of the troupe suddenly quit! Since they were relying on that person as their star, the troupe's work has drastically decreased. They're taking on jobs at a low price until they find a new star. ...So, how about you being the main actor?"

"Ha!? The main actor!?"

Cecilia felt like her eyes were about to pop out, a classic expression.

"Well, I understand you want to put on a play at the orphanage! It sounds like a good idea, and I'd be happy to help! But, the main actor!?"

"There's no choice. All the remaining members of the troupe lack the necessary charisma."

"But, still..."

"In that regard, Cecilia is perfect. I can't judge your acting skills, but from what I've seen of your usual 'prince' act, I think you'll be fine!"

Cecilia felt like she had been given a seal of approval in a strange place.

She pressed her forehead.

(What should I do...)

It was a tricky situation to nod to.

From what Rine said, it seemed to be a purely charitable endeavor. It was about repaying a debt to the orphanage where she had lived. If that was the case, Cecilia wouldn't mind helping. In fact, she would be happy to lend a hand.

However, would Rine really put on a play just for that? If she only wanted to repay a debt, there was no need to go to such lengths and spend so much money. Given her character, she would likely just make a generous donation.

Perhaps there was another purpose...

"Let me tell you, you don't have a choice, okay?"

"Huh?"

Cecilia looked up at Rine in disbelief.

She smiled and tapped Cecilia's nose.

"I said it at the beginning, didn't I? 'I want you to pay back the favor.' We should keep our promises to friends, right?"

At that moment, Cecilia was certain that Rine had another agenda. Unfortunately, she had no way to refuse.

Cecilia slowly lowered her aching head.

"...Okay"

"I'm glad you agreed. Let's go to the costume fitting right away!"

Rine, not giving Cecilia a chance to object, pulled her arm and stood her in front of a mirror. Then, she brought out a costume that she had made herself.

"This is my masterpiece."

"Wait, this is the costume?"

"Yes! When you think of the protagonist of that myth, this is it!"

In front of Cecilia in the mirror was a pure white dress for a woman. It had a chaste and somewhat divine appearance.

"Cecilia as the goddess. I'm really looking forward to it!"

"Eeeeeh!?"

Cecilia let out the loudest scream of the day.

By the time she left the empty classroom, the sun was already setting. On the way back to the dormitory, Cecilia's long shadow stretched out.

"Rine is really, really crazy..."

Thinking back to what had just happened, Cecilia slumped her shoulders. Echoing in her ears were Rine's words when she had cried, "I can't dress up as a woman!"

"It's okay. The setting is that Cecil is crossdressing as the goddess! Besides, the venue is the orphanage. I don't think anyone who knows Cecilia will come. If you're still worried, I can even prepare a wig! It's no problem."

It was a big problem. Still, the way Rine made it seem like everything would work out was typical of her.

(Come to think of it, that book must have sold well enough to put on a play like this...)

Reflecting on it, that might have been the biggest shock of the day. She had even seen it being smuggled across the sea by Jade. She was starting to feel a bit scared about how widely it had spread.

Cecilia lowered her gaze to her toes and stopped walking.

"Well, I guess it'll work out..."

Even if Rine had other motives, her desire to repay the orphanage was genuine. In that case, she couldn't refuse to help.

After taking a deep breath, Cecilia was about to take a step forward...

"Huh?"

At that moment, something whizzed past her nose. Then, a heavy, dish-like object shattered at her feet. The sound made Cecilia look down. There was a broken flower pot.

"Ha!?"

Looking up in a panic, she saw a shadow looking down from a dark classroom window. The person, or perhaps the woman, met Cecilia's eyes and then fled from the spot.

I might write a story from Rine's perspective someday (^o^)

Thank you very much for reading the book and the manga! If you enjoyed it, I'd appreciate it if you could leave a review or a point (^o^)