***
The theater was adorned entirely with dazzling golden fragments. The interior, dominated by red and gold, was majestic and elegant.
We could have sat in the balcony, but chose seats on the ground floor to catch a closer glimpse of Aurora.
I looked at the red curtain that concealed the stage with a tense expression.
“Do you think Aurora will really be here?”
Raffaelo confidently replied,
“Aurora can’t give up this role.”
“The passion that captivated Strickland was the same passion to create beauty. It never gave her a moment of peace, driving her relentlessly.”*
* Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence
“What?”
“No, I just think Aurora’s passion for art is truly amazing.”
There was still time before the performance began, so I decided to ask the male leads about something I was curious about.
“How did you first meet Aurora?”
In the original work, Arkhangelo became interested in Aurora when she started attending his performances and declared herself as his fan. The primary reason was that Aurora’s appearance and personality matched his tastes.
More than anything, he was captivated by her genuine love for opera.
After Arkhangelo started keeping Aurora close, his friends Raffaelo and Ghieuspe also fell for her. Aurora had a pure and shy charm that wasn’t typical of a noble lady.
Finally, Simone also developed feelings for Aurora, leading to the male leads’ ensuing harassment.
However, unlike in the original, the male leads did not like Aurora, her personality had become assertive, and since she had even taken off with their money, it couldn’t be confirmed that their interactions followed the original story.
“I first met Aurora at my performance.”
Oh, the first meeting hasn’t changed, then?
“Aurora was always in the audience. She had eyes that genuinely loved opera, which sparked my interest. When I met her at the royal banquet, I decided to approach her first.”
“Is that why you started to like her?”
“What? Are you crazy? Don’t talk nonsense! Why do you keep saying such ridiculous things and inviting trouble?”
“Honestly, it’s quite fun to annoy Arkhangelo.”
After enduring Arkhangelo’s irritation, I closed my mouth. Well, it seems he never liked Aurora, even for a moment.
“When I finally talked to Aurora, she was… a bit unusual. She was the first to talk to me that way.”
“So she was a weirdo.”
“Exactly.”
“It was so funny seeing Arkhangelo get caught up with Aurora that we all took an interest in her.”
Raffaelo chimed in with a cheerful voice.
“Honestly, Aurora isn’t just unique, she’s objectively funny. Other noble ladies found us intimidating, but Aurora didn’t at all.”
“So, you were captivated by Aurora’s confident charm….”
“Why are you so eager to match people together?”
“Lady Seraphina, Aurora and we were friends beyond gender.”
“True friends transcend gender.”
“…That’s true.”
Anyway, the way the male leads met Aurora wasn’t much different from the original story that I know.
The only difference was that, due to Aurora’s changed personality, they didn’t fall in love with her.
“But objectively speaking, isn’t Aurora pretty?”
“…..…….”
“Her appearance doesn’t matter.”
“Objectively, she is pretty, but… her personality makes you forget that.”
“Can you please keep your mouth shut? You’re trying to be nice, but it’s really annoying.”
Fearing that pushing the subject further would genuinely anger Arkhangelo, I decided to follow his advice and stay silent.
Oh, there was one more thing I was curious about.
“So, how is Aurora’s singing? Is she really good?”
Given that the original female lead dreamed of being an opera singer, it was obvious her singing skills would be excellent. But I was curious about Arkhangelo’s evaluation of her.
Since she was cast as the leading lady in this performance, she must be a top-notch soprano….
However, the male leads didn’t answer my question.
“……….”
“Hmmm….”
“Haha.”
As Ghieuspe, Raffaelo, and Simone reacted in turn, Arkhangelo finally responded.
“Ignorance is bliss.”
“What?”
“You’ll find out soon enough….”
While I was confused by Arkhangelo’s words, the curtain suddenly opened.
Instantly, the audience fell silent, and everyone’s attention turned to the stage.
The first to appear wasn’t Aurora. The stage began with the tenor, who played the male lead, singing.
“Wow………”
I had always thought sopranos were the most important in opera, but the tenor was amazing too. Come to think of it, Arkhangelo also said he was a tenor.
I was quickly captivated by the stage. Honestly, it felt like if angels had voices, they would sound like this.
“Ah……!”
At that moment, I spotted a figure on the stage and my eyes widened.
Under the stage lights, her golden hair gleamed brilliantly, as if sprinkled with stardust.
Her deep pink eyes perfectly matched her striking features. The white dress made her look even more radiant.
The woman smiling confidently on stage was undoubtedly Aurora.
The male leads sitting next to me also tensed up as soon as Aurora appeared.
As they had assured, Aurora had taken the stage.
Now, all that was left was to catch her as soon as the performance ended.
Well, I had to wait for the performance to end first..….
“The moonlight shines on the field—”
However, the moment I heard Aurora’s song, I stiffened.
“The lambs sleep through the night—”
Because it was….
“I recall my younger days—”
It was the worst!
It was the worst singing I had ever heard!
‘What, what is this?’
I was truly bewildered.
No, could this be happening?
Is it just me hearing it wrong?
“When you stood before meee—”
But looking at the faces of the male leads beside me, it was clear they also found Aurora’s singing terrible.
Raffaelo and Ghieuspe’s faces were openly contorted, Simone had discarded all pretenses of politeness, and Arkhangelo looked ready to stand up and declare this a mockery of opera.
“Our world was hued—”
It wasn’t just the male leads who looked pained. Every audience member around me had an expression of disbelief.
“What, what is this?”
“Is this supposed to be opera?”
“No way, how could the leading lady….”
No, this is seriously strange.
No matter how much the original story was altered, it doesn’t make sense for the original female lead to sing this poorly!
What kind of romantic fiction heroine sings like a pig being slaughtered?
This must be a serious issue with her character settings!
Ah, until now, I didn’t know what the phrase ‘singing like a pig being slaughtered’ meant. Now, I truly understand it.
Come to think of it, there were no descriptions of Aurora’s singing skills in the original work. Could it be…?
“Ugh, this is why I told you countless times that you have no talent for singing….”
I heard Arkhangelo’s pained voice beside me.
I suddenly remembered that Marquess Shae had opposed Aurora becoming a singer.
Back then, I thought the Marquess was just trying to crush Aurora’s dreams….
Yes, that’s right! With skills like this, it’s only right to stop her from pursuing a career in opera!
Until now, I believed in respecting everyone’s dreams.
But respecting Aurora’s dream is not really for her sake; it’s more like deception.
