Chapter 37

“Is the medicine sweet or bitter?”

It’s Katarina’s voice.

Just hearing one line, I knew exactly which part it was.

Pinocchio is hanging from a tree by robbers and is about to lose his life.

A beautiful girl, the Blue Fairy, saves his life.

He has a fever and needs to take medicine, but Pinocchio doesn’t want to take the nasty stuff.

Alright. Next come the gentle blue fairy’s lines.

“It’s bitter medicine, but you must take it. You’ll feel much better afterward. I’ll give you a piece of candy after you take the medicine.”

The lines went on just as I remembered.

I flinched because it was just what I expected to hear.

I glanced up at Roche, who was standing next to me.

Roche was looking at me with a strange expression.

I felt something odd.

It had to be that… Antonio’s voice?

A chill ran down my spine.

I don’t know exactly why, but Anthony was playing the role of the Blue Fairy and exchanging lines with Katarina.

An old man speaking lines for a girl didn’t seem ridiculous at all.

His voice is old and raspy, but it doesn’t feel out of place when he reads the fairy’s lines. His breathing and intonation are perfect and natural, and he doesn’t try too hard.

He’s just immersed in his performance.

“Then I’ll have the candy first.”

“So you promise to take the medicine, Pinocchio?”

“Yes, please give it to me.”

“Alright, here you go. Are you ready to take the medicine now?”

After gobbling up the candy first, Pinocchio hesitates here. Meanwhile, the blue fairy brings the medicine to his lips.

Now there’s no candy to sweeten the bitterness in his mouth after taking the medicine.

Pinocchio doesn’t want to take the medicine.

He flips over the blanket and shouts.

“I won’t take the bitter medicine; I’d rather die!”

“Really? I’m glad you’ve made up your mind, because if you don’t take the medicine, you’re going to die soon. Undertaker rabbits, I need a funeral for one of the wooden puppets here!”

“Ugh! What’s that sound? A thumping sound!”

“It’s the sound of the undertaker rabbits coming. You said you wouldn’t take your medicine and die.”

“It’s a joke! Give me my medicine!”

After that, the script reading continued.

As I listened closely, I realized what was going on.

Katarina was reciting her lines as Pinocchio in each scene, and Antonio was synchronizing with her, playing all the other characters’ lines.

Whether there were three or four characters besides Pinocchio in a scene…….

Anthony was able to freely change the intonation and pitch of his voice, becoming a completely different person from line to line.

Moreover, even though it was only the first reading today, thanks to the harmony between the two, the flow of the play was almost perfect.

They seem like people who’ve practiced together for weeks.

I couldn’t bear it any longer and opened the door wide, as silently as possible.

I was overwhelmed by the scene inside the rehearsal room.

The actors were seated in a circle in a spacious rehearsal room.

In the center, Katarina and Anthony were performing a duet.

Except for two or three actors sitting near the door, they were so focused on the duet that they didn’t even realize I had entered.

I sat casually near the door and whispered to the actors watching the duo.

“What’s going on now?”

“Oh, well, it’s a fable.”

Right.

Most of the characters in Pinocchio are not human.

The play is allegorical in nature, comparing certain groups of humans to animals in order to convey a lesson.

“So, because of that, it’s challenging to act with tones that reflect the animals’ traits… Mr. Brogo advised us several times.”

“And?”

“He said that since we’re still not making much progress, we should watch and learn from the beginning…….”

“Hence Katarina’s doing a duet with him?”

“Yes, he’s taken on all the roles except for Pinocchio.”

I tore my gaze away from the actor explaining and looked at Katarina and Anthony.

Their scripts lay on the floor, folded neatly.

They’re not even holding their scripts.

Another wave of astonishment washed over me.

Did they memorize the entire script?

The Pinocchio play that Becky had just finished writing was about 90 minutes long.

It had only been two days since she’d handed the script to the actors.

To memorize the entire 90-minute play in just two days.

‘He’s a monster.’

And Katarina.

She had clearly not reached the level of devouring the entire script like Antonio.

But she’s quick to recognize when Anthony’s lines are coming to an end, and she slips in and out like a ghost without breaking the flow.

This, too, requires a mastery of the script at a level beyond mere proficiency, if not more.

But most importantly, it was astonishing…

Shee seems like a young boy.

She’s not even wearing makeup.

The tone of her voice, the way she speaks, and her restless gestures all resembled those of a young teenage boy.

To have already crafted the character to this extent.

It was breathtaking.

It’s amazing how quickly an actor who has only played a limited number of roles can establish new territory.

‘Oscar Crestwell, what have you done with all these talents……!’

He’s killing himself by wasting it all.

My heart was pounding.

I could forget the slightly unpleasant incident from earlier in the overwhelming sight.

In the rehearsal room, amid the suffocating atmosphere, Anthony and Katarina’s performance became increasingly intense and electrifying.

The two actors are in a trance, with the rest of the cast watching them in fascination.

How much time has passed?

“How lucky I am to be such a good boy! ”

Katarina’s euphoric words brought the play to a close.

The rehearsal room fell silent, without even applause.

Anthony and Katarina were sweaty and breathing heavily.

I stood silently, waiting for them to acknowledge my presence first.

Katarina slowly came out of her reverie. She pulled a strand of hair away from her cheek and hastily greeted me.

“My Lady!”

Only at her words did the other actors recognize my presence.

They rose like a tide and tried to bow. I raised my hand lightly and shook my head.

“No need for greetings. Please, everyone, sit down.”

At my instruction, the actors sat back down on the rehearsal room floor, looking somewhat sheepish.

I stood where I was and stared at Katarina.

Katarina bit her lip shyly and looked away. Her face was flushed from the aftermath of her performance.

I laughed softly and clapped my hands.

“Well done. I didn’t think you could do this much in such a short time. You’ve exceeded my expectations.”

Katarina was speechless.

Her emotion at being recognized for her efforts was palpable.

I looked up at her and smiled.

“But there’s still room for improvement. You know that better than anyone, right?”

Despite seeming like a boy, she wasn’t quite like a wooden doll yet.

“I’m asking for what I know you can do.”

It’s a sign of trust in your abilities.

“Yes!”

Katarina smiles brightly and nods, as if she understands my intentions.

“And…….”

My attention then turned to Anthony, who was standing next to Katarina.

His eyes met mine.

I let out a bark of laughter.

‘Ah, Oscar Crestwell, l.’

How could such a ridiculous and short-sighted person exist?

He is so obsessed with appearances that he can’t recognize what is truly valuable.

The jewel that Oscar had so ruthlessly thrown away, thinking it was a rock.

It fell into my hands.

I would never give it back to Oscar, even if he tried to take it back after realizing how brilliant Anthony was.

I walked up to Anthony and pulled him into a fierce embrace.

An actor decades past his prime. His once vigorous body was now wasted.

But what an explosion of skill that skinny body exuded.

“Please take care of us, Anthony.”

Without realizing it, I was speaking to him, a commoner, with respect.

But no one fussed.

Perhaps it was because everyone in the room realized that Anthony was going to be the secret weapon of the Balthus Theater.

He deserved it.

I let out a long sigh.

It felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

If I had to leave for some unavoidable reason, I could rest assured that Anthony would be there.

I turned and made eye contact with each of the seated actors.

I clapped my hands together to get their attention.

“Let’s practice before what we just saw fades from our minds.”

“Yes!”

The thunderous response was satisfying.

I smiled and said.

“The whole capital is watching us, so we’d better show them what we’re made of.”

Suddenly, I remembered the faces of the three ladies who had sat at the outdoor table earlier, mocking my theater.

And then the face of Oscar Crestwell, who had tried to undermine our ensemble behind the scenes.

I almost clenched my jaw, but I couldn’t let my actors see that, so I smiled wider.

Roche, standing near the door to the rehearsal room, watched me with a wry smile.