Starla took Naiya's hand and walked through the long passage.
Starla turned her head quietly. She was quietly relieved when she saw that Lucius's figure was not there.
They started walking fast, but then they slowed down because Starla had something to say to Naiya.
"Say, Naiya."
"Hm? What's wrong?"
Naiya's reaction was a bit overwhelming. She didn't know if she felt scared because she would stand under the gaze of tens of thousands of spectators or if she felt excited because Lucius would be watching her performance.
"Can Starla ask Naiya a question?"
In front of Naiya, Starla returned to the innocence that she should have as a young girl. Starla asked Naiya cautiously as if she was afraid that Naiya would refuse.
"What's the question?" Naiya calmed down and looked at Starla, who was widening her silver-grey eyes.
"Naiya, promise you won't get upset."
"I promise not to get upset."
Starla's childishness caused Naiya to act like an older sister. She answered Starla affirmatively.
"This time it's serious, Naiya. You like your butler, right?"
"Eh?"
Sure enough, hearing these words, caused Naiya that was initially calm, began to panic. After a moment of panic, Naiya found that Starla wasn't joking, so Naiya calmed down.
'Like him?'
Even Naiya herself cannot be sure if she liked him... because of fear, and dependence, Naiya, who once had nothing, can start to trust Lucius. This complex situation gives birth to complicated feelings, but the feelings also gradually deteriorated...
"I don't think it's possible." Finally, Naiya spoke, shaking her head. Even if she likes him, it is impossible for anything to happens.
"Why?"
Starla does not understand how she likes a man with a demon's aesthetics, but Naiya looks like a very good girl, and Starla feels that Lucius did not do the same thing to Naiya as he did to her. In other words, Naiya at least has a normal life.
So, why did Lucius do so much for Naiya?
"Starla, don't keep asking, okay?"
Naiya has no way to answer Starla...
"So that means he doesn't like Naiya?"
After Naiya guessed the real situation, it made her a little embarrassed and a little sad.
At the same time, Starla grabbed Naiya's arm and rubbed Naiya's hand.
"This is great."
"What did you do all of a sudden?" Naiya was a little puzzled.
"Because Starla likes Naiya!"
It wasn't known if this young girl's innocent words were true or not. But, Starla's words did give some comfort to her heart...
This young girl beside her, who was full of energy, was perhaps the only existence Naiya can call a friend.
"It just so happens that I also like Starla...." Naiya said with a hint of joking while reaching out to touch Starla's forehead. It was rare for her to joke.
"Hehehe."
Starla smiled strangely because of Naiya's confession.
"This is the first time Starla has ever confessed love, since I was born in this world, Naiya."
"Then should I say that I am lucky?"
As the number one singer, there must be many people who like Starla. So, Naiya has to protect this hard-won relationship.
Naiya knew that she was already in darkness, and there was no way to leave and no one to save her. Then at least, she should not let this innocent young girl fall into it, too.
However, Naiya's expectations will only turn into despair in the end.
"Um...so."
Unknowingly, Naiya and Starla had walked arm-in-arm to the end of the stage. The murmur from tens of thousands of spectators can be heard outside.
After one more step, Starla and Naiya will walk from the shadow of the tunnel into the spotlight. But Starla stopped in her tracks, her smile no longer able to hold at this moment. She held Naiya's hand tightly. Her whole body was trembling.
"So... Naiya..."
"Starla? What's wrong?" Naiya listened as Starla's voice become helpless, with even a hint of crying.
"This next performance, can you... end it?"
"Me?" Naiya noticed that Starla had become a bit strange.
"Well... this is my... last performance, when I can't stop, can you...help me, to end this performance?"
'Can't stop...what does that mean?'
"Can you help me do it?" The begging contained in Starla's words caused Naiya to nod almost subconsciously.
"Of course I will, although I don't know what the show is about, but I will definitely help you end this show with my own hands."
This dialogue sounds a bit weird, so she just followed the young girl's thoughts.
"Then, let's pinky promise."
Starla unexpectedly stretched out her little finger childishly and shook it in front of Naiya's eyes, and at the same time, her original uneasy expression faded a little.
Naiya extended her hand, her pinky finger and Starla's hooked up together, agreeing.
"No matter what happens, Naiya can't hesitate to do what you feel is right..." Starla became a little serious.
"Although this is my first time on stage, I will definitely not cause you trouble. Don't worry, Starla."
After Naiya made her final promise, Starla finally took her first step into the stage.
She was even more scared than Naiya, and it was almost the moment she was about to walk onto the stage that she let go of her hand that was holding Naiya.
It was a familiar place...
After Starla's figure stood under the spotlight, her confidence returned to her once again.
The number one singer was true to her name.
The audience began to cheer. Almost all of them are looking forward to the next performance! Not only Starla, but they were also applauding for the Empress who was standing aside!
Tonight was a sleepless night.
A night that belongs to the number one singer!
...
The elegant and soothing music gradually started to play. Starla and Naiya are performing a musical... Of course, Naiya is standing next to the venue, and the black and white colours spread under the spotlight.
In fact, Naiya's role was not as much as Lucius's.
Because...
Lucius has turned the conductor responsible for the music performance team into his own.
….
Now Lucius was sitting on the nearest stand, with scarlet eyes watching the black and white on the stage.
The rhythm of the baton in the conductor's hand follows the rhythm of Lucius's fingers, and it began to set the music for this performance.
Just when the audience was engrossed into this wonderful song.
They didn't notice the light red mist that keeps spreading gradually from the stage...
Perhaps, they have fallen into this song.
If what was played in the last performance was the epic of the world, then what was played in this performance was the epic of the hero.
It's a very old-fashioned knight's tale but with a touch of irony.
The story was about a strong, upright, and kind knight who has a crush on the princess of the empire. But, because of his status, the knight was far from qualified to show his love to the princess. One day, the empire reported that the princess was captured by an ugly monster named 'Despair' in the forest of despair in the west... The Empress gave an order to the whole country that whoever kills the monster called 'Despair' monster and save the princess will be eligible to marry the princess.
This powerful, upright and kind knight set off immediately to the Forest of Despair. He saw the monster named 'Despair' with the appearance of a butterfly. The knight fought against this monster for seven days and seven nights. With one arm eaten by the monster, he pierced the monster's heart fiercely using the knight sword in his hand and ended its life.
But the monster's corpse, in front of the knight, turned into the princess he had a crush on.
Seeing this scene, the knight realized that everything was just a conspiracy set up by the evil queen to kill the princess!
The pain of killing his beloved with his own hands made the knight hold the princess's body and cry until he died of exhaustion...
At that moment, the knight really felt the 'despair' that this monster brought to him...
Lucius likes this script so much, although he doesn't know who wrote it...
Even though he enjoyed the opera, there was still business he had to do. Lucius carefully counted the time... It has been almost ten minutes since he left the Vernet family and came here.
The opera was almost at the end.
Just after Starla finished singing the last song, the wave of applause resounded again!
Starla Vernet and Naiya stood on the stage and bowed slightly to all of the audience, expressing their gratitude.
But 'The show' isn't over yet...
"The real show has just begun!" Lucius gently snapped his fingers. His voice was very soft.
In the thunderous applause, hardly anyone could hear it.
But only Starla heard it!
"!"
Starla widened her eyes; suddenly, she fell to her knees and clutched her heart. Her expression became very painful.
'Give me your most beautiful dance, Your Highness!'
Lucius hadn't felt so excited for a long time.
Seeing Starla suddenly fall to her knees on the ground, all the audience stood up in surprise. They didn't know what was happening.
Including Naiya.
"Starla? Are you unwell? What's wrong with you?" Naiya half squatted beside Starla and asked her anxiously.
But Starla's little face turned white...
"Naiya..." said Starla, it took almost all of her strength to say these words. "Remember the agreement just now?"
"Of course, I remember... but the show is over, huh? I... I'll carry you to the doctor right now!"
Naiya wanted to pick up Starla's petite body, but she refused.
"The real show... is only starting now oh, Naiya... the show your butler wants to see... is... only starting now."
"My butler?"
'The show that Lucius wanted to see?'
The feeling of uneasiness once again rose in Naiya's heart,
'It can't be!'
Naiya begged in her heart.
'Please! Starla... anyone else is fine, but you... you who I trust... don't do the same thing to me!'
Truth is truth.
Starla's lips, which had turned pale, finally hooked up in a feeble smile. "Help me to end this show, Naiya. As a powerful, upright, and brave knight... it's really great to be able to love you, Naiya."
"Starla! Don't!" Naiya clung to Starla's body. Starla was her last straw, a straw as thin as spider silk, the only light amidst the darkness Naiya was suffocating herself with.
"Everything is hypocrisy..."
Somehow, Lucius's words echoed in Naiya's ears.
The next second!
Naiya suddenly felt like something had hit her chest hard! Her body retreats backwards, and the last trace of Starla's petite body disappears from Naiya's hands!
"Don't..." Naiya's last begging turned into a powerless cry of sorrow.
The delicate girl who knelt on the ground, her pure white posture in Naiya's impression, began to shatter!
Scarlet!
The scarlet that made people feel scared began to spread on the stage. Starla's body was wrapped in those squirming fleshy pieces. The entire stage was covered with these things. These pieces of flesh began to spread almost at a speed that is difficult to reach with the naked eye!