There was a private box reserved for Nephis and Sunny. They were guided there by a young stagehand, who was visibly struggling to maintain decorum while bursting at the seams with excitement. It was not every day that Changing Star of the Immortal Flame clan visited a theater! In fact, Sunny was pretty sure that she had never participated in these kinds of social activities before.
“There would be a freshly embossed plaque nailed in the foyer of the theater by tomorrow, no doubt. Something like “This humble establishment has enjoyed the patronage of the brightest of stars” or «We are proud to have hosted Her Royal Highness, Saint Nephis of Immortal Flame.»
Such a simple thing was enough to enhance the theater's prestige twofold.
«I wonder if this place is secretly sponsored by Cassie.»
The box was luxuriously furnished, dark, and elevated above the auditorium high enough so that no one could see what was happening inside.
Sunny felt frustrated at the fact that his heart was almost racing.
Letting out a sigh, he glanced at the stage and took a seat, The curtain had not been raised yet, and the audience was filling in with excited whispers. He was distracted for a moment when Nephis sat down near him, their shoulders almost touching.
«This private box is a bit cramped, isn't it?»
Well, it couldn't be helped.
He remained silent for a moment, then asked in a neutral tone:
«By the way, what play are we watching?»
Nephis looked at him with a hint of surprise.
«You don't know?»
Sunny shook his head.
«I'm afraid I don't.»
She seemed a little embarrassed, for some reason.
Nephis hesitated for a while, then coughed awkwardly.
«...Actually, I don't know either. Cassie... Saint Cassia arranged it. I assumed you would have been informed.»
Sunny chuckled.
«Well, it will be a surprise then. Who knows, we might enjoy it a great deal.»
Actually, he didn't really care about the contents of the play. He doubted he would be able to concentrate on the actors, anyway, when Nephis was so close to him, in the darkness.
Soon, the lights dimmed, and the curtains were slowly pulled. The audience held its breath.
At the same time, Sunny's smile froze on his lips.
In fact, he had stopped breathing entirely.
His expression slowly crumbled, and he barely suppressed a tormented groan.
Because right at that moment, he saw the title of the play above the decorations. Written in a purposefully messy scrawl, several words were displayed on dark background...
[The Devil of Antarctica.]
«Oh, no!»
—— —— ——
On the stage, the decorations were divided into two distinct locations. On one, a military boat sailed on an icy sea. On the other, tall mountain peaks towered above a snowy cliff.
Sunny tried to sink into his chair, raising a trembling hand to cover his face. He didn't even care if Nephis would notice his strange behavior. He just wanted to disappear and be somewhere anywhere! — else the next moment.
«I'm done for!»
There was an actress wearing a black armor standing on the snowy cliff, gazing down at the audience with a somber look. The armor design was quite austere, but somehow managed to accentuate every curve of her quite... distinguished body very well. Her blonde hair moved slightly in the artificial wind, and her bright blue eyes were full of harsh resolve.
The military boat, meanwhile, seated seven soldiers in the uniforms of the First Evacuation Army. Their leader was standing at the bow, peering ahead with a stolc expression on his chiseled face. He was close to two meters in height and possessed a formidable build, oozing rugged masculinity. The makeup made him look extremely pale, and he seemed to be wearing a black wig.
«I am sorry. I don't know what Cassie was thinking... you participated in the Southern Campaign as well, after all. It must be unpleasant, to see a censored version of the calamity you lived through on the stage.»
She looked at the curtain and shook her head.
«I heard that the Captain is based on a real person. I was in East Antarctica, though, so I wouldn't know. He must have been quite a character.»
Sunny did not respond.
«He's quite a character, indeed...»
They spent the intermission in awkward silence. Sunny was thinking of a way to convince Nephis to leave, but sadly, he couldn't think of any. Especially due to her status... an ordinary person could slip away in the middle of a play, but if Changing Star did it, the theater would go bankrupt the next day, Such was the power of her glorious fame.
Eventually, it was time for the second act to start It was then that Nephis said calmly, never looking away from the stage.
«We are being watched.»
Sunny raised an eyebrow. He usually kept his shadow sense restrained in Bastion, so he wouldn't know.
«Who would anyone be watching us?»
She sighed.
«You don't have to worry. It's nothing serious... someone is probably suspicious and wants to confirm the nature of our relationship.»
He relaxed.
«Oh.»
She had just survived an assassination attempt recently, and the whole world was in turmoil as a result. There were no riots on the streets, but tensions were running high. If something happened to Nephis in the meantime... he was afraid that everything would explode.
So, even though it was unpleasant to know that someone was spying on them, Sunny felt relieved. Not for long, though. Because the second act had started.
On the stage, the Falcon Scott had fallen, and the Devil was separated from the Angel during the evacuation, carried away unconscious on the last ship. The latter was presumed to have perished in the siege.
The second part of the story took place in East Antarctica, where the forces sent by the Legacy clans helped to stem the tide of Nightmare Creatures. The Captain, grief-stricken and heartbroken, went from gazing soulfully into the distance every other minute to doing so about every thirty seconds. The frequency of his sardonic remarks decreased, but his general disposition had only grown more obnoxious.
Sunny was in a foul mood and grinding his teeth.
...It was then, however, that Nephis raised a hand and wrapped her arm around him firmly, pulling him closer in the darkness.
He froze.
«What... what is she doing?»
«Please forgive me, Master Sunless. We must play our parts, as well.»
She was terribly close.
Sunny blinked a couple of times.
Then, a small smile slowly crept onto his face.
«Ah, yes. I guess there's no helping it.»
He placed his head on her shoulder in an intimate display.
Whoever was watching them should be able to confirm the nature of their relationship from that scene. What could he do? There was no choice... he had to cooperate earnestly.
Held comfortably in Nephis' embrace, Sunny smiled with satisfaction.
«I must admit...»
The second part of the play was much better than the first.
It was actually not bad at all.
The director really knew what they were doing!
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