518 The Tour
Selma Payne’s POV:
Something happened. The Midnight Opera House was coming to the Spring Rain Pack for a tour.
I learned this from Mara. She would be one of the accompanying scriptwriters to perform in various places with the opera house. She even sent me VIP tickets.
Speaking of which, we probably hadn’t seen each other in a long time. I’d been so busy here, and Mara often went out for business trips. The last time we met was during Mara’s first opera after she became an official screenwriter. I went to support her.
“The theme of this tour is ‘the Lost Myth’,” Mara said excitedly over the phone. “This means that there won’t be any classics that have already been on stage in this show. This was a challenge, but it was also an opportunity. The crew studied ancient myths day and night, writing and modifying scripts. To be honest, that period was really torturous. Watching one’s painstaking efforts being criticized, denied, and modified day and night, that feeling was enough to make one collapse. However, it’s all worth it. I promise that I’ll give everyone a surprise with this performance.”
As the ‘national idol’ of the werewolves, every performance of the Midnight Opera House would cause a scene where tens of thousands of people would turn up. I’m truly happy for Mara to be one of the scriptwriters for this tour.
“But why is the tour’s first stop at the Spring Rain Pack?” I was a little confused. “Shouldn’t it be in the Lycan pack?”
“Since we’re pursuing something new, we should abandon the old rules in all aspects. The leader thinks that the Spring Rain Pack is a new city and a representative work of innovation, so it’s the most suitable place to perform the new work of the troupe.”
No matter what, I had to go and support them, so I decided on my schedule for that day early.
On the day of the concert, the troupe sent someone to ask me about my habits and requirements. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“It’s just a show, please don’t be too nervous.” I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as I told Kara, “Just do the usual. Don’t put too much pressure on the troupe. It’s not easy for the actors and staff.”
Hence, the people sent by the troupe left while wiping their sweat.
Cynthia looked forward to this day the most. From the moment she opened her eyes in the morning, she had changed from her usual behavior of a little adult to an endless stream of questions. ‘When do we start? When do we set off?’ and other questions popped up almost every three minutes.
Kara was good at taking care of children. At least she was more patient than me and better at coaxing children than Aldrich. Hence, taking care of this little troublemaker was temporarily handed to her today.
“I finally understand why many people refused to be with fanatical fans.” Leaning against Aldrich, I helplessly looked out the window at Cynthia and Kara weaving a flower crown. “She’s so young, yet she already knows how to express her opinion on the beauty on the poster!”
“Cynthia has matured early,” Aldrich said with a smile. “Besides, isn’t it better to form her aesthetic style earlier?”
“It’s better if she’s aesthetically pleasing,” I mumbled. “I’m afraid she’ll grow up too early to be a beauty addict.”
“Everyone loves beauty.” Aldrich was very open to this.
The Spring Rain Pack had not yet built an opera house. It was ranked very low in the city and infrastructure. So the Midnight Opera House simply performed in the open and built a temporary stage.
The wide and sturdy wooden stage was decorated with gorgeous silk and tulle as if it was the play’s background. The stage lights had not been turned on yet, which covered the stage in the dark with a layer of hazy black gauze, like a half-buttoned book, making people eager to see the words and phrases hidden in the shadows.
The stage was surrounded by an antique tent made of blankets and decorated with silk seats for individual guests. The tent in the middle must be mine tonight.
The troupe leader eagerly came to receive me, and Mara accompanied him.
We all understood what I was thinking, but I didn’t mind this harmless way of trying to build a relationship with people I was familiar with. I also hoped that Mara could lead a better life in the troupe, so I didn’t expose the troupe leader’s thoughts.
After the initial exchange of pleasantries, he had the foresight to return the seat next to me to Mara. He also seemed to like children quite a bit, as he could casually answer Cynthia’s endless stream of questions.
Cynthia wanted to meet with the performers. Just as the troupe leader was about to agree, I turned around to stop her.
“The performance is about to begin, my dear,” I said to Cynthia. “The actors are in the midst of intense preparation work. If you want to see them, they won’t be able to refuse. However, this will delay the preparation time. If there are any flaws in the performance, the actors’ hard work over the past few months will be in vain.”
Cynthia realized she’d been too rash tonight, so she sensibly gave up on her request.
The troupe leader cleverly suggested, “There’s not enough time now, but after the performance, if you’re willing, Your Highness, we can look backstage. The actors know that you’re coming today and they’re all very excited. It’ll be their greatest honor if they can get a few words of courage from you.”
Looking at Cynthia’s expectant gaze, I could only agree.
