Chapter 86: Preparation for the festival [4]
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
Chapter 86 Preparation for the festival [4]
He immediately grabbed the attention of the room with his presence. With looks that put even the best-looking actor to shame, he became the focal point of everyone's gaze.
Behind him, a familiar figure appeared.
She was following him with gleaming eyes.
"There's no need to feel too pressured. Just act as you've done last time, and-Oh, it looks like everyone is here. Sorry for the delay, I was talking with him about something."
It was none other than Olga who waved her hand at the actors sitting across the room.
"Writer, it's a pleasure to see you."
"Hello."
Snapping out of it, the actors went on to greet her. Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m
There was a certain respect in their voice as they talked to her. And rightfully so. Her name resounded throughout the entire Empire, and while all the actors present had a certain fame to their name, it was meaningless when compared to Olga.
"It's nice to see you all again. I apologize in advance for the delay and change in script."
"No worries, no worries... it's indeed better. I'm sure it'll be a hit."
Compliments began to flow effortlessly from the actor's lips, each one more lavish than the last, until inevitably, the spotlight of attention gradually shifted towards Julien.
"Haha, are you the actor everyone is talking about?"
Darius, true to his nature, was the first to approach Julien with his trademark warmth, extending a friendly greeting in his usual amiable manner.
"You might know me, but I'm Darius."
He held out his hand.
But...
"...."
All he received in response was a blank stare. It was obvious from Julien's gaze that he had no idea as to who he was.
And he was right.
Julien really didn't know who the person in front of him was.
'Famous actor...? Who?'
Most probably seemed to be the case. He was just about to hold his hand up to return the greeting when Olga intervened.
"Enough with the greetings. Let's just straight to the reading. I can't wait."
And thus, Julien was never able to return the greetings.
Whispers started to spread.
"Wow, did you see that? He totally ignored Darius."
"That's the godly actor that made her change the script?"
"Well, he certainly has the looks for it."
"....But doesn't he seem rather plain? No, not his looks. But his expression. It's as blank as a piece of paper."
"From the way he was acting, it seems like he's looking down on everyone."
"No, that's not the case..."
Aoife muttered to herself from the side.
"He's just like that."
It wasn't a scene she was used to seeing. She could practically count the many times she had seen a similar scene over the past few months.
'....Does this guy not care about anything else but himself?'
As if sensing her gaze, he turned to look at her and their gazes met.
'What is...'
For the briefest of moments, Aoife noticed a subtle curl at the corner of his lips.
It disappeared as fast as it came, and the writer clapped her hands to get everyone's attention.
"We will skip the introductions for now. Let's start the reading."
Soon, the large hall, which had become somewhat awkward due to Julien, was plunged into a state of silence.
Flip—
Only for it to be shattered by the sound of pages turning. As heads turned in unison, all eyes fell upon Julien, who sat quietly, his gaze fixed on the script before him.
Everyone wore a strange expression as they looked at him. He really... didn't care at all about what others thought of him.
More whispers ensued.
"Doesn't he seem nervous? Like, he's quite stiff. This isn't a good sign."
"Could just be his personality...?"
"I'm not sure. I was looking forward to seeing the godly rookie that forced Olga to change the script, but maybe we won't see it today?"
"What happens if he sucks?"
"....I doubt he will. And if he does, we can just go back to the old script."
"Ah, I see."
At this moment, while the actors were conversing with each other, Olga stood up and said,
"Let's begin. Act 1. The Bakery."
"....I can't believe this shop is closed as well."
In the setting, Aoife, or Emily, was visiting the nearby shops to buy missing pieces for their malfunctioning mixer. It was a matter of utter importance since the bakery couldn't run without the machinery.
It was late into the night, and all shops were closed.
In her desperation, Emily found a man in the streets for help.
"Ah, excuse me! Do you perhaps know if any shops are still open where I can buy some parts for a broken mixer?"
That man...
Was none other than Azarias.
With his head lowered, Julien slowly raised his head. He didn't immediately turn into character. At first, his expression was blank.
Aoife stared at it unblinkingly.
Almost as if she was trying to challenge him.
'Come, show me... Show me what you've got...'
All eyes were on Julien whose expression remained blank the entire time. Everyone wore similar expressions as they wandered about him and his acting. Was it really going to be as good as Olga suggested? Was it just a fluke? Overrated?
The thoughts ran through their mind until they didn't.
"....."
Finally, Julien's expression changed and so did his aura. It was as if a different person had taken over.
It indeed was.
Right now, Julien was mixing a few characters in his mind. From the memories of William's madness to the emotions he felt right after he first killed a person.
He solely focused on those experiences and emotions.
In doing so, his entire demenour changed and he became a completely different person. It was a chilling sight that took Aoife's breath away.
All of a sudden, the world around her seemed to have changed.
No longer did it feel like she was in the reading room. As of right now, she truly felt like Emily.
".... You're looking for a replacement?"
Julien's voice came out dry. However, within the dryness of the voice was a smile. A gentle, and warm smile.
Aoife felt a strange discomfort staring into that smile.
It made her fidgety.
Even so, she had to resist the urge to show it. In the play, Emily, desperate for the missing piece doesn't notice such things.
And so...
"Yes, I am."
"I know, yes... I know of a place."
"You do...?!"
"Yes, please go straight. If you just keep going there, you can find it."
"Thank you so much!"
It was a short interaction. One that ended with her thanking the man before leaving.
Aoife did her best to keep her tone even. Even so, just briefly, her voice trembled. Aoife half-expected the writer to call her out for it, but nobody said a thing.
And how could they?
'Shivers... I'm feeling shivers... From the many expressions he manages to reveal through his eyes alone and subtle gestures, this is even better than what I saw last time.'
Olga found herself once again doubting her own writing abilities. She felt as if she had still not done the character justice.
The other actors were no exception.
'It's no wonder he acted like that. He truly is... Scary.'
'How can anyone act like that? It feels like I'm being sucked right into the scene.'
'I'm getting shivers.'
Julien lowered his head. He scanned the room that was filled with other actors. He was meant to stare just straight. Where Emily's departing back was, but as if he wasn't satisfied with that, he stared at everyone present.
His eyes changed.
Julien, no Azarias's gaze turned intense. A smile slowly crept across his features and his body started to tremble. His eyes changed further, his pupils slowly dilating.
"Haaa... Haaa.."
His breath echoed in rhythm, each exhale tinged with excitement.
He was thrilled.
Adrenaline surged through his veins, engulfing him completely.
"R-red..."
He quietly mumbled.
"....I want to see it."
At this point, Aoife had long stopped acting. Staring at the warn-out script in her hand, she leaned back on her chair and blankly stared at Julien.
"How?"
How am I supposed to compete with this?
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
Chapter 86 Preparation for the festival [4]
He immediately grabbed the attention of the room with his presence. With looks that put even the best-looking actor to shame, he became the focal point of everyone's gaze.
Behind him, a familiar figure appeared.
She was following him with gleaming eyes.
"There's no need to feel too pressured. Just act as you've done last time, and-Oh, it looks like everyone is here. Sorry for the delay, I was talking with him about something."
It was none other than Olga who waved her hand at the actors sitting across the room.
"Writer, it's a pleasure to see you."
"Hello."
Snapping out of it, the actors went on to greet her. Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m
There was a certain respect in their voice as they talked to her. And rightfully so. Her name resounded throughout the entire Empire, and while all the actors present had a certain fame to their name, it was meaningless when compared to Olga.
"It's nice to see you all again. I apologize in advance for the delay and change in script."
"No worries, no worries... it's indeed better. I'm sure it'll be a hit."
Compliments began to flow effortlessly from the actor's lips, each one more lavish than the last, until inevitably, the spotlight of attention gradually shifted towards Julien.
"Haha, are you the actor everyone is talking about?"
Darius, true to his nature, was the first to approach Julien with his trademark warmth, extending a friendly greeting in his usual amiable manner.
"You might know me, but I'm Darius."
He held out his hand.
But...
"...."
All he received in response was a blank stare. It was obvious from Julien's gaze that he had no idea as to who he was.
And he was right.
Julien really didn't know who the person in front of him was.
'Famous actor...? Who?'
Most probably seemed to be the case. He was just about to hold his hand up to return the greeting when Olga intervened.
"Enough with the greetings. Let's just straight to the reading. I can't wait."
And thus, Julien was never able to return the greetings.
Whispers started to spread.
"Wow, did you see that? He totally ignored Darius."
"That's the godly actor that made her change the script?"
"Well, he certainly has the looks for it."
"....But doesn't he seem rather plain? No, not his looks. But his expression. It's as blank as a piece of paper."
"From the way he was acting, it seems like he's looking down on everyone."
"No, that's not the case..."
Aoife muttered to herself from the side.
"He's just like that."
It wasn't a scene she was used to seeing. She could practically count the many times she had seen a similar scene over the past few months.
'....Does this guy not care about anything else but himself?'
As if sensing her gaze, he turned to look at her and their gazes met.
'What is...'
For the briefest of moments, Aoife noticed a subtle curl at the corner of his lips.
It disappeared as fast as it came, and the writer clapped her hands to get everyone's attention.
"We will skip the introductions for now. Let's start the reading."
Soon, the large hall, which had become somewhat awkward due to Julien, was plunged into a state of silence.
Flip—
Only for it to be shattered by the sound of pages turning. As heads turned in unison, all eyes fell upon Julien, who sat quietly, his gaze fixed on the script before him.
Everyone wore a strange expression as they looked at him. He really... didn't care at all about what others thought of him.
More whispers ensued.
"Doesn't he seem nervous? Like, he's quite stiff. This isn't a good sign."
"Could just be his personality...?"
"I'm not sure. I was looking forward to seeing the godly rookie that forced Olga to change the script, but maybe we won't see it today?"
"What happens if he sucks?"
"....I doubt he will. And if he does, we can just go back to the old script."
"Ah, I see."
At this moment, while the actors were conversing with each other, Olga stood up and said,
"Let's begin. Act 1. The Bakery."
"....I can't believe this shop is closed as well."
In the setting, Aoife, or Emily, was visiting the nearby shops to buy missing pieces for their malfunctioning mixer. It was a matter of utter importance since the bakery couldn't run without the machinery.
It was late into the night, and all shops were closed.
In her desperation, Emily found a man in the streets for help.
"Ah, excuse me! Do you perhaps know if any shops are still open where I can buy some parts for a broken mixer?"
That man...
Was none other than Azarias.
With his head lowered, Julien slowly raised his head. He didn't immediately turn into character. At first, his expression was blank.
Aoife stared at it unblinkingly.
Almost as if she was trying to challenge him.
'Come, show me... Show me what you've got...'
All eyes were on Julien whose expression remained blank the entire time. Everyone wore similar expressions as they wandered about him and his acting. Was it really going to be as good as Olga suggested? Was it just a fluke? Overrated?
The thoughts ran through their mind until they didn't.
"....."
Finally, Julien's expression changed and so did his aura. It was as if a different person had taken over.
It indeed was.
Right now, Julien was mixing a few characters in his mind. From the memories of William's madness to the emotions he felt right after he first killed a person.
He solely focused on those experiences and emotions.
In doing so, his entire demenour changed and he became a completely different person. It was a chilling sight that took Aoife's breath away.
All of a sudden, the world around her seemed to have changed.
No longer did it feel like she was in the reading room. As of right now, she truly felt like Emily.
".... You're looking for a replacement?"
Julien's voice came out dry. However, within the dryness of the voice was a smile. A gentle, and warm smile.
Aoife felt a strange discomfort staring into that smile.
It made her fidgety.
Even so, she had to resist the urge to show it. In the play, Emily, desperate for the missing piece doesn't notice such things.
And so...
"Yes, I am."
"I know, yes... I know of a place."
"You do...?!"
"Yes, please go straight. If you just keep going there, you can find it."
"Thank you so much!"
It was a short interaction. One that ended with her thanking the man before leaving.
Aoife did her best to keep her tone even. Even so, just briefly, her voice trembled. Aoife half-expected the writer to call her out for it, but nobody said a thing.
And how could they?
'Shivers... I'm feeling shivers... From the many expressions he manages to reveal through his eyes alone and subtle gestures, this is even better than what I saw last time.'
Olga found herself once again doubting her own writing abilities. She felt as if she had still not done the character justice.
The other actors were no exception.
'It's no wonder he acted like that. He truly is... Scary.'
'How can anyone act like that? It feels like I'm being sucked right into the scene.'
'I'm getting shivers.'
Julien lowered his head. He scanned the room that was filled with other actors. He was meant to stare just straight. Where Emily's departing back was, but as if he wasn't satisfied with that, he stared at everyone present.
His eyes changed.
Julien, no Azarias's gaze turned intense. A smile slowly crept across his features and his body started to tremble. His eyes changed further, his pupils slowly dilating.
"Haaa... Haaa.."
His breath echoed in rhythm, each exhale tinged with excitement.
He was thrilled.
Adrenaline surged through his veins, engulfing him completely.
"R-red..."
He quietly mumbled.
"....I want to see it."
At this point, Aoife had long stopped acting. Staring at the warn-out script in her hand, she leaned back on her chair and blankly stared at Julien.
"How?"
How am I supposed to compete with this?
Chapter 86 Preparation for the festival 4 He immediately grabbed the attention of the room with his presence. With looks that put even the best-looking actor to shame, he became the focal point of everyone's gaze. Behind him, a familiar figure appeared. She was following him with gleaming eyes. "There's no need to feel too pressured. Just act as you've done last time, and-Oh, it looks like everyone is here. Sorry for the delay, I was talking with him about something." It was none other than Olga who waved her hand at the actors sitting across the room. "Writer, it's a pleasure to see you." "Hello." Snapping out of it, the actors went on to greet her. Updated from novelbin.comThere was a certain respect in their voice as they talked to her. And rightfully so. Her name resounded throughout the entire Empire, and while all the actors present had a certain fame to their name, it was meaningless when compared to Olga. "It's nice to see you all again. I apologize in advance for the delay and change in script." "No worries, no worries... it's indeed better. I'm sure it'll be a hit." Compliments began to flow effortlessly from the actor's lips, each one more lavish than the last, until inevitably, the spotlight of attention gradually shifted towards Julien. "Haha, are you the actor everyone is talking about?" Darius, true to his nature, was the first to approach Julien with his trademark warmth, extending a friendly greeting in his usual amiable manner. "You might know me, but I'm Darius." He held out his hand. But... "...." All he received in response was a blank stare. It was obvious from Julien's gaze that he had no idea as to who he was. And he was right. Julien really didn't know who the person in front of him was. 'Famous actor...? Who?' Most probably seemed to be the case. He was just about to hold his hand up to return the greeting when Olga intervened. "Enough with the greetings. Let's just straight to the reading. I can't wait." And thus, Julien was never able to return the greetings. Whispers started to spread. "Wow, did you see that? He totally ignored Darius." "That's the godly actor that made her change the script?" "Well, he certainly has the looks for it." "....But doesn't he seem rather plain? No, not his looks. But his expression. It's as blank as a piece of paper." "From the way he was acting, it seems like he's looking down on everyone." "No, that's not the case..." Aoife muttered to herself from the side. "He's just like that." It wasn't a scene she was used to seeing. She could practically count the many times she had seen a similar scene over the past few months. '....Does this guy not care about anything else but himself?' As if sensing her gaze, he turned to look at her and their gazes met. 'What is...' For the briefest of moments, Aoife noticed a subtle curl at the corner of his lips. It disappeared as fast as it came, and the writer clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "We will skip the introductions for now. Let's start the reading." Soon, the large hall, which had become somewhat awkward due to Julien, was plunged into a state of silence. Flip Only for it to be shattered by the sound of pages turning. As heads turned in unison, all eyes fell upon Julien, who sat quietly, his gaze fixed on the script before him. Everyone wore a strange expression as they looked at him. He really... didn't care at all about what others thought of him. More whispers ensued. "Doesn't he seem nervous? Like, he's quite stiff. This isn't a good sign." "Could just be his personality...?" "I'm not sure. I was looking forward to seeing the godly rookie that forced Olga to change the script, but maybe we won't see it today?" "What happens if he sucks?" "....I doubt he will. And if he does, we can just go back to the old script." "Ah, I see." At this moment, while the actors were conversing with each other, Olga stood up and said, "Let's begin. Act 1. The Bakery." "....I can't believe this shop is closed as well." In the setting, Aoife, or Emily, was visiting the nearby shops to buy missing pieces for their malfunctioning mixer. It was a matter of utter importance since the bakery couldn't run without the machinery. It was late into the night, and all shops were closed. In her desperation, Emily found a man in the streets for help. "Ah, excuse me! Do you perhaps know if any shops are still open where I can buy some parts for a broken mixer?" That man... Was none other than Azarias. With his head lowered, Julien slowly raised his head. He didn't immediately turn into character. At first, his expression was blank. Aoife stared at it unblinkingly. Almost as if she was trying to challenge him. 'Come, show me... Show me what you've got...' All eyes were on Julien whose expression remained blank the entire time. Everyone wore similar expressions as they wandered about him and his acting. Was it really going to be as good as Olga suggested? Was it just a fluke? Overrated? The thoughts ran through their mind until they didn't. "....." Finally, Julien's expression changed and so did his aura. It was as if a different person had taken over. It indeed was. Right now, Julien was mixing a few characters in his mind. From the memories of William's madness to the emotions he felt right after he first killed a person. He solely focused on those experiences and emotions. In doing so, his entire demenour changed and he became a completely different person. It was a chilling sight that took Aoife's breath away. All of a sudden, the world around her seemed to have changed. No longer did it feel like she was in the reading room. As of right now, she truly felt like Emily. ".... You're looking for a replacement?" Julien's voice came out dry. However, within the dryness of the voice was a smile. A gentle, and warm smile. Aoife felt a strange discomfort staring into that smile. It made her fidgety. Even so, she had to resist the urge to show it. In the play, Emily, desperate for the missing piece doesn't notice such things. And so... "Yes, I am." "I know, yes... I know of a place." "You do...?!" "Yes, please go straight. If you just keep going there, you can find it." "Thank you so much!" It was a short interaction. One that ended with her thanking the man before leaving. Aoife did her best to keep her tone even. Even so, just briefly, her voice trembled. Aoife half-expected the writer to call her out for it, but nobody said a thing. And how could they? 'Shivers... I'm feeling shivers... From the many expressions he manages to reveal through his eyes alone and subtle gestures, this is even better than what I saw last time.' Olga found herself once again doubting her own writing abilities. She felt as if she had still not done the character justice. The other actors were no exception. 'It's no wonder he acted like that. He truly is... Scary.' 'How can anyone act like that? It feels like I'm being sucked right into the scene.' 'I'm getting shivers.' Julien lowered his head. He scanned the room that was filled with other actors. He was meant to stare just straight. Where Emily's departing back was, but as if he wasn't satisfied with that, he stared at everyone present. His eyes changed. Julien, no Azarias's gaze turned intense. A smile slowly crept across his features and his body started to tremble. His eyes changed further, his pupils slowly dilating. "Haaa... Haaa.." His breath echoed in rhythm, each exhale tinged with excitement. He was thrilled. Adrenaline surged through his veins, engulfing him completely. "R-red..." He quietly mumbled. "....I want to see it." At this point, Aoife had long stopped acting. Staring at the warn-out script in her hand, she leaned back on her chair and blankly stared at Julien. "How?" How am I supposed to compete with this?
