“Why do we even have to bring this?”

“The woman who was the original lead of this play left that as her last belonging, right?”

“So?”

“Feels like she’d like it even after she’s dead.”

“...What?”

Elisha couldn’t hide her dumbfounded look. Because there, planted firmly in the audience seats under the stage, was something.

That vanity table from her room.

“Just act like that’s the audience.”

“Y-You...!”

Elisha barely held back the word Are you insane? that was about to burst out.

She truly couldn’t understand why they had dragged that vanity table all the way here.

What do you want me to do. If we’re bringing an earthbound spirit, we don’t have [N O V E L I G H T] a choice.

Who do you think wanted to lug that heavy thing here?

To put the ghost Julia on this stage, there was no other way.

This was why dealing with earthbound spirits was such a pain.

Ah.......

After stepping into the theater, Julia couldn’t take her trembling eyes off the stage.

How long had it been since she’d seen a stage like this?

“Haa.......”

Elisha was the same.

The stage had already been perfectly dressed for this play.

The Heart of Evil.

Since the show was scheduled to open soon in the capital anyway, borrowing the set for a day was nothing.

No matter the era, there was nothing money couldn’t solve.

“It’s really a stage.”

Her voice shook openly.

The fact that she could finally step onto a stage she’d only ever watched as an audience member made Elisha’s heart pound like it had lost its mind.

There wasn’t a single audience member, but the tremble only grew.

“Then shall we get ready?”

Elisha stared silently for a moment at Camilla, who—unlike her—was standing there with absurd ease.

“Can you really do this?”

“What?”

“You said you’d do all those roles by yourself.”

Camilla had said she would play every role besides the lead by herself.

It wasn’t a play with one or two people. How was she planning to do that?

She does seem to know acting, but still.

These past few days, Camilla had watched Elisha act.

Unlike practicing in front of a mirror at night, acting in front of someone was new, so it felt awkward at first—but soon she forgot everything and threw herself into it with everything she had.

“Here, here, and here. Your sound breaks. Hold your breath longer.”

“Your enunciation here needs to be clearer. Brace your core.”

“Your breathing’s too fast. Slower.”

“Your expression isn’t bad.”

At first, Elisha had been suspicious—Does she actually know what she’s talking about?—but when she followed the advice as a test, acting really did get easier.

“Do you know how many people bring stacks of money begging me to teach them acting? Consider it an honor.”

...What is she even talking about.

Still, Elisha couldn’t deny that, thanks to Camilla, she’d gained more confidence.

“Don’t worry about anything else. Focus on your acting.”

“Okay.”

Leaving Elisha nodding behind, Camilla looked to Julia one last time.

Hoping both of them would ignore everything else and stay true to their own roles, Camilla headed backstage to change.

*****

The Heart of Evil.

There was a woman.

A woman who, for ten years, had cared for her mother—who couldn’t move her body properly—alone.

Then one day, her mother died.

Cause of death: asphyxiation.

She was murdered.

And the culprit was the daughter herself.

In the end, her trial began.

“I have done nothing wrong.”

“You’re saying you didn’t kill her!”

No...... I killed her. I only granted my mother’s request.

“My mother... my mother begged me to kill her.”

She pleaded with me desperately, saying she didn’t want to continue living such a painful life anymore.

Same lines, but Elisha’s and Julia’s acting styles were very different.

Their delivery methods differed greatly, but both had their own charm.

Not bad.

Julia was a well-known actor to begin with, so Camilla never doubted she’d be good.

What was surprising was Elisha.

Camilla had felt it while watching her practice—she definitely had talent.

Sure, there were immature parts, like enunciation and vocal tone, but she was doing so well it was hard to believe this was her first time on a stage.

“Shut up! You’re a murderer! A murderer who killed her own mother! How... how could you kill your mother with your own hands!”

But the ones marveling nonstop inside right now were Elisha and Julia themselves.

“No. Anna truly loved her mother. Everyone knows it. Everyone knows how devotedly she cared for her.”

Camilla, acting as the village people brought out as witnesses in court, was truly incredible.

The moment she stepped into each role, even her expression and tone changed, and admiration poured out on its own.

She handled that many roles alone without her breathing wavering even once.

“I... I killed my mother.”

But that wasn’t murder.

Pulled along by Camilla’s acting, Elisha and Julia also performed with everything they had.

“I find Anna Esnia not guilty.”

The play raced toward its end.

“Mother, was it really for you that I killed you?”

Was it really only to erase your pain, these hands that strangled your neck?

“Was that heart purely good?”

Only God would know.

Elisha climbed onto the prepared chair and put her neck into the rope hanging there.

Julia overlapped with Elisha’s body and stepped onto the final stage in the exact same way.

TAANG!

With the sound of the chair tipping, the lights went out, and the curtain fell.

“Whew.”

As if Camilla’s long exhale were a signal, the lights came on again.

It is kind of exhausting.

A real stage for the first time in a long while was overwhelming.

But unlike her tired body, a smile wouldn’t leave her face.

The satisfaction of finishing the play safely.

Isn’t that why you act?

After catching her breath, Camilla lifted her head—and the first thing she saw was Elisha standing on the stage in a daze.

Beside her, she could also see Julia, wearing a smile just as satisfied as Camilla’s.

You.......

When Julia’s eyes met Camilla’s, her smile deepened.

You were the greatest partner of my life.

With those words, Julia’s body gradually grew faint.

Thank you.

Camilla watched quietly until Julia vanished completely, then slowly walked up to Elisha.

Elisha was looking at Camilla too.

Countless emotions spilled from her eyes.

“I...”

Did I really finish a stage?

From her toes, an unknown heat rose little by little.

Her heart beat even faster, and her chest swelled until she could barely breathe.

A tremble different from the one she’d felt before stepping on stage washed over her entire body.

Tap.

“......!”

In that moment, a hand stroked her head.

It was Camilla.

“You were decent.”

For a beat, Elisha wore a blank expression—then her eyes reddened, and in the end, she burst into tears.

Chapter. Protect the Guardian’s Sword

“Camilla! Eat this.”

“Strawberry cake?”

“I made it myself.”

“You?”

Elisha had changed.

“I made it starting at dawn today. For you!”

No—had she changed a lot?

Since the day they performed on stage, she wouldn’t let herself be separated from Camilla for even a moment.

She was making a fuss, desperate to do something for her.

Even now, she’d brought something like this, her eyes shining bright.

They say if someone changes suddenly, they die.

Thinking it looked like her tail was swishing behind her, Camilla picked up a fork.

Still, she should take a bite, at least for the effort of making it, right?

STAB!

“Huh?”

But someone stabbed the cake with a fork before she could.

“Doesn’t taste good.”

A man who took a bite and immediately frowned.

Arsian.

“It doesn’t taste good? Why? I definitely made it prop—!”

No, that’s not the important part right now!

“Why are you eating that! I made it for Camilla!”

“Are you discriminating against guests? I’m a guest too.”

“You’re my brother’s guest, not my guest!”

Elisha seethed and snatched the fork away.

She gripped it tight, like she meant to use it as a weapon, and glared hard at Arsian.

Of course, Arsian only snorted at her behavior.

“I have a question!”

Elisha shot her fork-holding hand up into the air.

“What?”

“When are you going home? How long are you going to stay here?”

At her question, Arsian looked at Camilla instead of answering.

“Camilla, when are you going home?”

“Dunno.”

“Dunno.”

After hearing Camilla’s answer, Arsian threw the exact same answer at Elisha.

Elisha’s eyes hardened even more.

“Camilla’s going to hang out with me more! Can’t you stop clinging to my sister already?”

Huh. When did I become your sister?

Watching Elisha plant her hand on her hip and shout at Arsian, Camilla was speechless.

“My sister already has someone she likes! So stop getting your hopes up and go back!”

Excuse me? That was from how long ago.

And aren’t you scared of him?

Was she acting like this because she trusted Petro?

Her attitude toward Arsian was unbelievably bold.

Camilla glanced back—and her face turned dumbfounded again.

Because Petro was watching Elisha with a deeply pleased expression.

Instead of stopping her, he was practically cheering her on with his eyes, like That’s my girl.

“I’m not going to feed you anymore!”

Wow. You’re threatening him with food?

Of course, Arsian was treating Elisha like she didn’t exist.

Talk all you want—he didn’t even bother.

“So get out of our house right no—”

“Elisha, stop.”

“Yes!”

“.......”

I really can’t get used to this.