As Furina's suppressed wails echoed through the Opera House, the red curtain, signifying a scene change, slowly descended.
This time, the interval between scene changes was not as short as before; instead, it was longer than previous transitions.
—It was as if Yuto and Claude had deliberately given the audience time to compose themselves.
Behind the red curtain, Claude looked at Yuto beside him with some concern and asked softly:
"Lord Yuto, will the audience really fall into discussion as you said? But why... can I not hear a single sound?"
Yuto, hearing this, turned his head slightly, looked at the face taut with nervousness and worry, and smiled gently.
"Of course they will. You need to give them a little buffer time before you judge their behavior and state."
"After all, considering the widespread circulation of Palais Mermonia's announcements and the stories about Lady Furina in the streets and alleys..."
"They will more or less have some discussions."
At this point, Yuto paused slightly, then continued:
"However, this trick can only be used during the first performance. Don't use it repeatedly in subsequent performances; it might break the anticipation of the Fontaine Opera."
Hearing this, Claude nodded quickly, indicating that he understood.
And just then, from beyond the red curtain... faint rustling sounds of discussion began to emerge.
"This is truly... unimaginable."
"I never thought that Lady Furina would suffer so much in the process of resisting The Prophecy..."
"Just thinking about it feels suffocating. It's like having a mask directly clamped onto your face, unable to be removed for five hundred years."
"The point isn't the mask; it's that Lady Furina also doesn't know when The Prophecy will arrive. This feeling of fear... it can truly drive a person mad."
"That's right. A sharp blade, capable of killing oneself and one's country at any moment, hangs overhead. Even a God... couldn't endure five hundred years of mental tension, could they?"
"What's more, Lady Furina's method for dealing with The Prophecy is very special; she can only keep it to herself. It's truly hard to imagine how much pain she has endured..."
...
The audience's discussions were not loud, but in this vast Opera House, their words could be heard clearly by Yuto and Furina, who were standing on the stage.
Hearing them gradually understand Furina's suffering, Yuto nodded with satisfaction.
After all, half of his purpose in staging this Fontaine Opera had been achieved; the other half would depend on their reactions after the performance ended.
Thinking of this, Yuto turned his head to look at Furina beside him and asked softly:
"Lady Furina, are you alright now?"
Hearing Yuto's greeting, Furina gave him an annoyed glance, then said testily:
"Am I that fragile in your eyes? It's fine~ I know this is just a performance. I've been an old actor for five hundred years; I know these things."
"What's more..."
As Furina spoke, she looked around, and after making sure that most people, including the Traveler, were busy arranging the sets and props...
She gently stood on tiptoe, and her warm breath, carrying a hint of a young girl's fragrance, brushed against Yuto's ear as she whispered:
"Don't I have you by my side?"
With that, Furina extended her small hand and gently hooked Yuto's pinky finger, as if they were holding hands.
Feeling the touch of tenderness from her fingertips, Yuto paused slightly, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.
This time, he didn't utter any similar romantic words to Furina as he had before. Instead, he simply gave a soft "Mm" and then stood quietly by her side.
Their hands were hidden in the shadows of the stage, unnoticed and undiscovered.
After all, some flowers don't smell particularly good when they first bloom, but as time passes, those lonely flower branches have long since transformed into a field of flowers.
Although the relationship between Yuto and Furina would eventually become apparent, it was not now.
...
Once the props and stage were fully prepared, the curtain on the stage slowly rose, signaling the beginning of a new act of the Fontaine Opera.
The spotlight slowly moved, then locked onto Furina, who was standing by a bookshelf, with a man in a red uniform standing beside her.
"Lady Furina, this is the recent hydrological observation chart. The abnormal values in Beryl Region show a slight downward trend,
but... the abnormal values in other parts of Fontaine have increased to varying degrees."
Hearing this, Furina gently pushed back the book she had just taken from the bookshelf, then said:
"Excellent. Over these many years... the data you have calculated has become increasingly precise, which gives me great satisfaction."
"As your God, I am very pleased to see my people possess extraordinary wisdom."
As Furina said this, a characteristic smile was on her face, as if she truly felt that way from the bottom of her heart.
But from Furina's overall demeanor... she was more or less somewhat disappointed.
Time had not only taken away one group of mortals after another from Furina's side but also the spirit within her heart.
Compared to the Furina who used to hold hope for organizations like the Fontaine Academy of Sciences...
The current her was already somewhat weary.
Hearing this praise from the God, the clerk from the Fontaine Academy of Sciences bowed slightly, then continued:
"Lady Furina, you flatter us. We are merely doing our duty, but..."
"I still have some doubts about one matter. I wonder if Lady Furina can provide an answer?"
Furina's eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing this, and she thought of the recent trivial matters within Fontaine, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes.
The matter of The Prophecy made it difficult for her to speak; all she could say was, "I already have a solution, but I cannot say it now."
This led to her reputation within Fontaine continuously declining. Although no one had yet questioned her being a God, still...
The time for this denial was probably not far off.
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