Furina, Please Let Me Steal Your Heart!

"The Melusine Ensemble is truly exceptional," Lyney mused aloud. "We'll skip the other performances at the opera tonight."

In response to her brother Lyney's query, she gently shook her head.

"My battery is running low. If we stay any longer, I'll have to enter hibernation mode."

I'm getting sleepy.

Lyney let out a rueful chuckle. "You've done well today. Let's head back home then, and perhaps bring some treats for our kiddie guests along the way."

No sooner had he spoken when he heard the faint sound of singing from behind the opera house's audience doors.

But he didn't think much of it.

"Lynette?" However, he suddenly noticed something peculiar about Lynette's expression, her cat ears twitching incessantly.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Lynette snapped back to reality and whispered, "Nothing really. I just thought that voice sounded familiar... but I'm probably mistaken."

-

They opened the show with a powerful song that ruthlessly wrenched the audience's hearts right away. No one expected this. Yet, despite eliciting tears from the crowd, that bitterness gave way to—sophisticated acting!

"Must you torment me thus? I merely wish to escape this cage..."

Her tremulous voice and fractured expression made it seem as though she had merged completely with her character.

And so, though every moment of the story exuded darkness, depth, and fantasy, Luna, the leading actress, continued to shine like the sun—her radiant brilliance too dazzling to look at directly.

Yes, that! That was the stage she wanted to see!

Furina's attention had also been drawn in by the unfolding plot. As the protagonist faced injustice, she looked anguished; at moments of sorrow, she sighed despite herself... A good stage could entrap its audience's hearts within the story, and Luna had succeeded in just that.

This was how she ought to perform—no, this was the only way she could have performed.

But is she truly a newcomer? Furina wondered. With this acting and singing—especially this singing—she's almost matched me! The thought filled her with a mixture of fear and admiration for the younger generation.

Yet it was a good thing. She always wished for more actors like Luna.

The musical continued unabated. Luna didn't pause for a second, her acting and singing both achieving an unbelievably perfect performance.

What terrifying energy reserve she possesses!

And so, the drama arrived at its final act.

"Don't forget me..." whispered Luna softly as she slowly closed her eyes in her friend's embrace.

It brought tears to my eyes.

Furina sniffled; the hydro element was about to overflow from her eyes.

The story... was just okay, I'd say. It was a bit cliché. My rating: 7 out of 10.

But the lead actor was truly exceptional. She single-handedly raised the 7 to a 9, or maybe even a 10.

Clorinde silently offered a handkerchief, which Furina used to wipe away her tears before returning it.

As the curtain fell, Furina sprang to her feet.

"Bravo!" Furina applauded enthusiastically, her praise heartfelt.

Hearing such words from the Archon, the audience below realized one thing: Luna was about to be headline news.

But who cares? The audience stood up and clapped too, their applause forming a tidal wave that lasted until Luna and the other actors left the stage.

The performance had been a great success.

Well, well. My acting wasn't that bad after all.

Luna also calmed down.

-

The next day...

Sure enough, the Steam Bird newspaper's front page featured an article about her.

The Archon-Approved Stage Star

Yesterday, a dazzling new star was born on the stage of the Opera Epiclese. Even Lady Furina was moved by her acting and singing. Yet, she was originally just an adventurer from the Adventurers' Guild..... 

Although the reporter couldn't interview Luna herself, Charlotte had the good fortune to speak with Miss Furina...

Reporter: "Could you please describe what you found remarkable about Luna's performance?"

Furina: "What a dull question! It was all remarkable! But if I must pinpoint the most exceptional aspect, it would undoubtedly be her singing. In my discerning eye, she is a born songstress."

Reporter: "And are there any areas you feel could use improvement?"

Furina: "It's lacking in spectacle!"

Reporter: "Is there something you'd like to say to Luna?"

Furina: "Impressive, but don't get too full of yourself. If you want to continue gracing the stage... the most crucial thing is to not let silly distractions cloud your mind."

Furina: "All you need to do is focus on the mask you wear. With the mindset of 'no matter what, I will not remove my mask,' you too can achieve the realm I have!"

Furina: "But wearing a mask constantly can't be entirely beneficial, can it? The key is maintaining mental equanimity above all."

-

As Miss Luna's star rose, the troubles facing her theater company once again captured the public's attention.

The whereabouts of the original lead actress, Miss Mary Bestina, remained unknown. Miss Luna had previously requested, through this newspaper, that readers continue to keep their eyes on such hidden events and figures.

Fontaine's surface may be nothing but glitz and glamour, but countless cases have taught us that beneath this calm lies a turbulent undercurrent.

Yet, if each one of us simply sharpens our gaze, evil will find no place to hide, and tragedy will be confined to the stage alone...

Chiori laid down that day's issue of the Steam Bird newspaper.

"The gods of this country, they become surprisingly straightforward when discussing art," she muttered softly. "It's such a stark contrast to their usual melodrama."

Creak, creak. The sound nearby continued unabated.

Chiori ignored it, her attention fixed on the newspaper illustration. It boldly displayed a theater troupe's photograph, with Luna standing prominently in the center.

She gently caressed the image, her thoughts spilling forth:

"How utterly hideous."

In truth, she had attended the performance and found Luna's acting truly exceptional. But the costume, oh the costume, was simply unbearable to the eye.

"Everyone else seems to think it's fine," Chiori stated bluntly. "But that's only because they haven't examined the details. The designer who created your costume should be dragged out and thrown into the sea. A good long soak might cool their fevered imagination and grant them a bit more sense."

She tossed the newspaper aside, unwilling to sully her eyes with it any longer.

"You're such a beautiful person, yet they've paired you with this costume. It's like sticking fresh flowers into festering mud," Chiori observed, her expression unflinching.

"Wow, that's some harsh critique," Luna chuckled. "But you're right, I didn't feel comfortable in it either. The fabric quality was dismal, but it was originally intended for the previous lead actress. The theater troupe couldn't afford to commission a custom outfit for me back then."

Chiori let out a soft snort. "Laziness is more like it, wouldn't you say? I can surely accept working on credit, but I absolutely will not tolerate seeing a beautiful person enveloped in such ugliness."

Luna was nearly overwhelmed by the stream of "beautifuls" coming out of Chiori's mouth, yet she continued to rock her chair nonchalantly.

Chiori seemed to lose interest in criticizing the performance outfit any further and turned to face the bored-looking Luna.

Hands on her hips, she asked, "So, Miss Hot Actress, what brought you here? Why have you been holed up in my shop all day?"