Chapter 78

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

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With cherry blossoms dancing in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

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I received an opinion that instead of just numbers, proper titles should be given. Do you all agree with this?

If many people feel this way, I'm thinking of adding titles after the numbers.

Please let me know your thoughts.

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One day, with less than a week until the Shinkousai festival, Cecilia was in one of the rooms at the Sigony Orphanage.

In front of her was a mirror. However, the reflection in the mirror was not her usual self.

Her skin, smooth and fine like white porcelain, was powdered, and her eyes were adorned with a mysterious light purple eyeshadow. Her hair, flowing like silver, fell straight down to her waist. The white dress she wore was not the kind worn by nobles at balls, but rather a simple one-piece. However, the thin fabric that covered her body elevated its sanctity even further.

"Look, it's finished!"

"Wow..."

Cecilia's cheeks twitched as she looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror. Behind her, Lean, who had finished her makeup, stood proudly with her chest puffed out.

"This is the costume and makeup for the performance. Isn't it beautiful?"

"Well, it is beautiful, but... will no one really recognize that I'm a girl?"

"It won't be recognized, it won't be recognized! Don't worry! You'll start practicing in this from today! Be careful not to step on the hem, okay?"

"I'll be careful... but..."

Cecilia, looking confused, glanced at her reflection again. It was a matter of course, but the reflection in the mirror was unmistakably a woman. There was no trace of her usual self, Cecil. In fact, there was hardly any trace of Cecilia either, which was, in a way, a relief.

From today, the practice would be done with the actual stage and costumes. She already knew her lines and acting, so now it was just a matter of going through the final adjustments.

Cecilia left the room with Lean to go to the outdoor stage. As they walked, she asked a question she had been wondering about for a while.

"Hey, are Oscar and Gilbert really not supposed to know about the play?"

"Yes! No one in the academy is supposed to know until the performance. Especially not those two, absolutely not!"

"But you're going to announce it at the academy the day before or on the day of the performance, right?"

"Oh, you know that, huh?"

Lean confirmed with a surprised tone.

To be honest, if Cecil were to perform on stage, a lot of students would come to watch. She didn't know if there would be an admission fee, but if there was, Lean wouldn't let that money slip away.

Yet, Lean had strictly told Cecilia not to tell the academy students, especially Gilbert and Oscar, about the play.

"If you're going to announce it anyway, wouldn't it be better to tell them now? More people would come, right?"

"Oh? Maybe Cecilia wants those two to come and watch?"

"It's not that, but I'm afraid they'll be angry later..."

Closing her eyes, she could picture her stepbrother with a vein popping on his temple, asking, "Why didn't you tell me?" Oscar would also be sad if she kept it a secret.

"Don't worry, I'll tell them on the day of the performance! But until then, it's a secret."

"Why?"

"Because if they knew beforehand, it wouldn't be a surprise!"

She brought her index finger to her lips with a cheerful face, as if she was planning something. However, Cecilia couldn't guess what her plan was.

"Don't worry, Cecilia. Just don't tell those two anything! That's all you need to do."

"...Okay, I guess."

She nodded reluctantly. She didn't know what Lean was thinking, but it was probably best to follow her for now.

They left the orphanage. In front of the attached church, a large stage had already been set up. The children from the orphanage were running around it. Occasionally, someone would call out, "Lean-nee-chan!" in a heartwarming way.

"By the way, what happened to Zwey after that?"

"Zwey?"

"After he collapsed. Only Ein came to help, so I was quite worried. And when I asked Ein, he just said, 'He's fine' with a cold face!"

Cecilia chuckled at Ein's usual closed-off demeanor. Then, she relayed Zwey's current status.

"Zwey seems to have been a bit unwell since then. He's still coming to the academy, but he can't help much. Oh, but Ein said this morning that Zwey plans to show up today!"

"That's good. Then, that's the perfect chance."

"Chance? For what?"

Leaning in, Lean brought her index finger close to Cecilia's nose.

"To get closer! When it comes to twins, you can't just focus on one. You need to get along with both!"

"But, I already get along well with Zwey!"

Cecilia's puzzled voice made Lean tilt her head.

"Really? To me, it seems like Ein is closer to you."

"Huh?"

"Like, lovey-dovey?"

Cecilia squinted as Lean made a heart shape with her hands.

"That's not true. Why do you always imagine such things when you see guys getting along?"

"Hmm, is it just my imagination?"

She folded her arms and pouted, as if she wasn't sure herself.

"But, thinking about it, people's hearts are mysterious. You never know what they're thinking or feeling. What they like, what they dislike, what their triggers are."

"You're right."

"In this world where we can't see affection, trying to increase it with both twins at the same time might be really difficult!"

Lean's casual words made Cecilia feel an indescribable unease.

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The next chapter will be the Gil-Cecilia episode. I hope you enjoy it.

Also, in Part 3, Chapter 6, I've added some lines. I've only added Cecilia's emotions, so it's not necessary to read it, but if you're interested, please do.

If you enjoyed it, I'd appreciate it if you could give me some points.

Thank you for your support for the book and the manga adaptation.