"cut!!!!!!!!!!" I shake my head as I draw another line on my note
"well that's the eighteenth one today" I reported to my friends who had their eyes trained in front where our practice currently taking place.
"King!! He's your daughter not your next massacre victim!" I gave out a sigh
"somehow I feel sorry for Monique. This scene would be pretty traumatizing to her"
"weak" I look at Rin who just gave them a glance before returning to her book. Hmph as if I do not know that you're reading danmei your fake cover is slipping out you know!
"will Monique be okay? She looks like she's about to cry, even Meirin looks like she's about to passed out" I gave Catherine a pat on her shoulder
"my dear, of course Monique will not be okay, anyone who is subjected to the king's infamous glacier eyes had a tendency to be traumatized and in your heroine's case, it's a thousand times more effectively cruel since she like him. as to Meirin just let her be she's a strong girl"
"well..." Catherine turn back to the practice area
"if you want to help then just ask Ryuuji to cooperate"
"Ryuuji wouldn't listen to me" I raise a brow at her words "I'm telling the truth!"
"then sell meng" Catherine gave me a clueless look which made me face slap. Why does she have to be clueless about the important things? "never mind"
"I'm sorry Meirin" Monique bowed down in forgiveness
"you don't have to say sorry the problem is not with you but with the king" I held my temple as it throb in pain "taming a dog is not the same as taming a beast" I muttered to myself while I look at king who is just standing there looking outside the window like a deity free from any worldly devices. The heck what deity! he's just a demon king who's giving me a lot of head ache right now!
"hello!!"
"ah!! The knight!"
"the knight is here!"
"Aoi!!!!" I look at the doorway and find Aoi standing there with his signature smile. Hmph! Even this knight is a two-face villain. I witnessed how he played with Monique and toyed with Catherine for his amusement so my admiration with him had totally went down the drain.
"did I come at a bad time?" he bashfully asked, I look at Monique who is sitting not far from me to gauge her expression but she only look at Aoi with fear and hate in her eyes. Somehow aren't this girl pitiful being subjected under the cold gaze of the king and the sadistic play of the knight. I then turn my attention at Catherine who is having a conversation with her friends
"hello Monique" Aoi greeted her before giving me a faint smile.
"hello" seriously being a bystander, I actually can't get what the knight is thinking. He made use of the king to inquire about Monique personally knowing that Monique had a crush on the former. Then when Monique had fallen deep and Catherine had started getting agitated he let the king withdraw. Now he's showing interest on Monique, somehow isn't this guy more dangerous than the king?!
"by the way Monique there's something I have to give you, can you meet me at the library during lunch"
"ah...."
"please"
"okay" Aoi smiled at Monique before moving to where Ryuuji is.
"creepy" I whispered to myself when Aoi left, I just shake my head and look at the others "okay, break time guys, you can go settle your businesses, convene here in thirty minutes"
"why did you call me?"
"I'm interested in you" I said frankly.
"interested? Is scheming against me your definition of interest" I smiled at her words
"scheme, you could say that. You see I'm in interested in you but you're infatuated with Ryuuji. I was with you and talked with you first but your eyes follows him...always" she blushed in embarrassment and avoided my eyes. "I loved Catherine and I already lost her to Ryuuji this time I don't want to lose another girl in the hands of my best friend"
"you!"
"yes, I know that Ryuuji won't show an inch of interest in you so I send him to inquire about things. I am confident that with Ryuuji's inherently cold attitude to anyone other than Catherine you will notice that he doesn't like you. Unfortunately you deluded yourself into thinking that Ryuuji like you furthermore Catherine had shown signs of jealousy prompting Ryuuji to end my favor"
"does Ryuuji knew about it?"
"he only knew that I am testing you" I did not gave her a straight answer but judging from her expression she seems to get it.
"why? Why are you doing this to me?" at first I too am confused while I am doing such thing. I am not one to scheme on others however something inside of me had been anxious from the time I've seen her face. From that moment things that are had been vague in my head started to get clearer and it answered some of my unanswered questions furthermore the feeling of incompleteness was gone.
"because you look like her" I answered truthfully
"her? Are you telling me that you did those things because I look like someone you knew?" disbelief and pain is written on her face. "somehow I'm starting to doubt whether they were right to call you an angel because you're not! You're evil"
"thank you" she just shake her head as if saying I can't believe this! "anyway I'm here to give you something"
"I don't need it I just want you to leave me alone!"
"I will after I confirm something" she frowned but seeing that the urge to stay away from me is strong she finally gave in. " I want you to hold this" I took a glass ball in my pocket and showed it to her.
"that devil!" I look at Rin when he suddenly stood
"what's wrong?" I asked in confusion
"Aoi is being naughty" Rin is using a flat tone but her eyes is glinting in disbelief and anger.
"do we have to do something about it?" I asked in concern. Rin stood there in silence and after a minute she then sat down
"hmph it involves BG pair, I don't want to interfere" I look at her in disbelief
"you never change" sometimes I wonder how did Catherine managed to rope her in and became her friend with this attitude of hers.
"so?" I look at the glass ball in her hand and I could practically see my hopes crashing down and dissolving into nothing.
"nothing" I reach to get it back but Monique take her hand when we accidentally touched each other resulting for the ball to fall down and roll on the floor.
"I already did what you asked me for. So leave me alone!" I look at the ball with a sense of sadness and hopelessness as it continues to roll never minding Monique as she hurriedly left. Is this really it?
"aww!!!!" when the ball rolled under a nearby bookshelf I heard a sound akin to someone falling followed by a familiar voice "what?.....what is this ball doing over here" when the voice registered in my mind I set my empty feelings aside and walk to where the voice is coming from to get my item back.
"what's this? Is this battery operated? Why is it suddenly glowing?" I stopped from my tracks when I heard her. My heart suddenly pounded in excitement and nervousness when I heard her, suddenly another feeling of hope bubbled inside of me. Taking a deep breath I rounded to the corner and look at the girl who is currently holding the glass ball "knight" she uttered in surprise when she saw me.
"okay, is everybody here?" we all nodded when Meirin went in "good, this time we will be rehearsing the scene where Ryuuji will be introducing his new wife to Cinderella." I exhale when I heard my name and I unconsciously look at where Ryuuji is standing and saw him looking at me. "position's everyone" we then took our place.
"father, you're back"
"en" Ryuuji gave Monique a pat on the head. When I saw that I imitated the act of opening down the carriage door. According to the script I was to walk out gracefully followed by my daughters but I was inwardly surprised when Ryuuji moved away from Monique and went near me before holding out his hand. This....this is not in the script. I was conflicted for a second but since no one was calling him out I accept his hand as he helped me walk out of the carriage followed by my daughters. With my hand in Ryuuji's grasp he then turn to Monique.
Monique look down at the clasped hands of Catherine and Ryuuji in genuine surprise. "f-father?"
"Cinderella" I almost dropped my script when Ryuuji softly, yes softly! Look at Catherine. Somehow seeing Ryuuji 'act' so good with Catherine makes me want to cry. This king, he almost gave me a brain damage when he's acting with Monique but now he's doing too good when he's with Catherine. "I want you to meet your new mother"Ryuuji continued to look at Catherine with tenderness before looking at Monique "from now on, she, together with her daughters will be staying with us" the three women look at Cinderella and gave her a smile "treat them well Cinderella" I almost want to cry when Ryuuji's tone became threatening. Since when did Cinderella's father became so protective with her second wife that he's even threatening his beloved daughter? Aiyo, I think I'm going to end up having internal bleeding because of the king. I should call my doctor after this play. No I better triple the ticket sale as a physical and mental compensation!
"I'll be leaving for a business trip what do you want for a souvenir" I return back to the rehearsal and found that they're already on the part that the father is leaving.
"I want a parasol with lace trimming and handle made of gold" Kana
"I want two male porcelain dolls, the one should have a manly tall figure while the other should be petite and cute it's also okay if it's slightly feminine" I frowned at Rin's line and immediately browse the script and what was written there is velvet silk dress from the latest fashion! Since when did a dress became a porcelain doll?! Are you the script writer or me?!
"how about you?" I raised a brow when Ryuuji made a complete three hundred sixty degree turn and look tenderly at Catherine who is standing there.
"a diamond necklace will do" I feel satisfied when Catherine stick to the plot, now Ryuuji only has to ask Monique.
"I will also give you the world if you want" my jaw drop when Ryuuji flirted with Catherine, he even smiled at her.
"cut!!!!" I better set an appointment with our family doctor immediately
"yes, I received it already, continue to look after Catherine"
"is that Gram?" I asked my husband after placing his coffee on the table. I smiled at him and went to his arms when he opens it.
"mhm" he nuzzled my neck which made me chuckled "he mentioned before that Catherine's class will be doing a play for the cultural festival so I ask him to get me a copy of their script"
"oh, the festival will be next week right? i guess we need to finish our business here already so we will be back home in time for their performance"
"don't worry we'll be back in three days' time"
"good" I look at the envelope on the table and react for it "is this their script?"
"uh-huh" Jirou wrapped his arms around my waist as I took the script out from the envelope. I took out a four by eight booklet with slight medium sized thickness in maroon cover containing the word CINDERELLA.
"I wonder what Catherine's role is" I said excitedly as I flipped on the page containing the student names and their character, when the characters where shown I notice Jirou suddenly becoming stiff like a statue beside me. When I look back I saw him glaring at the script on my hand "Jirou?"
"that brat!!! Taking advantage of my daughter! Who gave him the right to be able to play as my daughter's husband!!" I massage my temple while shaking my head when Jirou took the script from my hand and stood in anger. "we're going back tomorrow! I'm going to have to talk with the director and script writer and make them change the characterization. I will never let my daughter be with that brat even if it's a play!!" oh dear
"get it? Stick to the script!"
"adlib" Ryuuji
"in movies. Twenty to thirty percent of the lines were adlib" I can't refute that can I?
"guys, let's not make things hard for Meirin" I look at Catherine as if she's my goddess
"we're not professional actors so...we can't follow with your adlibs" I gave Monique a look of thanks
"you've been following fine" Rin immediately broke my shield with her line "you didn't even react earlier" Rin gave me a piercing gaze and my shield just disintegrated.
"stop pressuring her" Catherine surprisingly gave Rin a knock on the head "and stop playing around!" this time she gave Ryuuji a glare.
"...." Rin answered with a pout.
"I understand" and Ryuuji gave an affirmative answer.
"Catherine-sama" I clasp my hand andlook at Catherine in wonder. She really is worthy of the queen's title, she'sthe only one who can subdue the king.