“Alright, set up the big props again!”

“Hey! Don’t touch that, quickly change to background 23!”

Amidst the cheers as the first part ended, backstage was the busiest.

People coordinating direction and lighting setups were like cogs in a wheel, moving for the grand war scene to come.

In the middle of all that stood an eagle, unfazed.

No, it was Lucia.

“What’s the eagle from the Forest God scene doing here? Move!”

From small magical beasts to gigantic magical monsters, their grotesque makeup was everywhere.

Lucia, who had come perhaps to catch a glimpse of the director’s decisionmaking, was freely mingling within this chaotic environment.

Was she gradually regaining her reason due to such trivial treatment?

Her desire to get angry had completely dissipated.

As she leaned against the wall, hushed yet meaningful conversations began to be audible through the thin walls.

“Prince Airen, we plan to release the petals after the second part, so don’t be surprised.”

“Is it about this cannon? Looks frightening.”

“Yes, yes, it’s loud. So, maybe give out gifts beforehand.”

“Alright, understood.”

‘Prince Airen, huh. Seems like he’s preparing something for the kids.’

Only then did Lucia fully realize that the man who had been annoyingly following her every day was actually an administrator.

However, she soon heard footsteps approaching. Having no choice but to hide her disguise as an eagle puppet, she slipped into an opening in a nearby partition.

Thankfully, the hastily constructed stage had many gaps in its shabby walls.

Airen passed by, but coincidentally, he stopped near the exit.

Lucia had to find a way to escape from this crevice.

Looking around, the space connected to this gap was cluttered with costumes on two levels.

Heading toward the faint light filtering through, she thought,

‘This place is…’

A large number of small props, a vanity that glowed unusually in the dark.

Clearly, it was a makeup room where the leading actors waited.

Smoky air from cigarettes, the clatter of cosmetics and props.

From an enemy knight with a large build, a white knight who was strangely prettier than any woman, to a darkskinned imperial knight.

Actors resembling them were smoking or adjusting their makeup.

If they left, the second part would start. Lucia held her breath waiting for that moment.

But especially since the enemy knight looked somewhat like Bengert,

As he kicked props in frustration upon someone’s entry, he exclaimed,

“What the hell?! Are you kidding? What about the second part? Proper management is life for an actor!”

Clutching a cigarette, he seemed excessively enraged at someone.

“I’m sorry…! I didn’t look around and accidentally…”

“You think this is a joke! You’re a role without any popularity, so you thought you could just slack off, huh!”

Is this the real backstage story?

Unable to avoid witnessing this scandal, Lucia assessed the other party.

‘Looks like he’s injured.’

The man with black hair and a black military uniform was limping, a dark knight apparently injured.

It felt quite strange.

To see someone who looked similar to her.

Soon, an actor in a large magical monster costume bowed to the enemy knight.

“Lord Sinium, it’s my fault that Lesa twisted his ankle! The changed trap wasn’t familiar, so… The next performance will surely be flawless! So, please don’t be too harsh. I beg you!”

A trap is a path under the stage for actors to move; there were two, sized according to the costumes.

It seemed the actor in the monster role tried to enter a narrow trap and bumped into the dark knight, causing the latter to twist an ankle.

“Haha, you think there will be a next performance after you injured this idiot? You might as well consider yourself fired. I’ll make sure of it.”

“……!”

“No, no! Lord Sinium! Just wrap it tightly and perform…”

“Isn’t that a given? Even if the ankle breaks, finish this performance! If my imperial debut stage is ruined, you won’t get off easy either! Understand!?”

Angry, he stomped out his cigarette and left. The actor in the monster costume desperately followed.
And the dressing room, once quiet, started to get noisy again.

Apparently, it was a common occurrence for the most popular actor to act like this, as everyone quickly adapted.

Except for the gloomy Knight in Black.

Soon, a woman named Resa began limping to find a spot where she could be alone.

Where she went was a corner filled with costumes.

She walked past a motionless eagle puppet and sat on a prop box.

While tightening the bandage around her swollen ankle, Resa’s breathing became heavier, and she buried her face in her knees.

“…Why am I so unlucky?”

Soon, Resa began to sob, muffling her mouth and trembling her shoulders.

An actor of humble birth.

If she had one stroke of luck, it was that her black hair allowed her to pursue a career in acting.

But that was it.

In this theatrical world, even among commoners, people who had nobles as siblings, like Cynium, received different treatment.

“Second act is starting soon, get ready!”