"...Hm? You finally remembered to ask that question? But before that, shouldn't you thank me?"
The girl, dressed in luxurious clothes, frowned slightly as the figure whose body had a water-like texture spoke softly.
"No... A Yuan, your voice should be a bit more frivolous, more... casual, understand?"
On stage, Furina guided Liu Yuan's tone. When it came to performances, Furina always approached them with the utmost seriousness.
Although initially she felt that "Gods should pursue perfection," and thus demanded perfection in her performances, it gradually became a subconscious habit over time.
And now, she was guiding Liu Yuan's lines.
Liu Yuan's movements were impeccable, even perfect, but there was a slight issue with her lines.
Liu Yuan and Ghost's personalities were very different; one liked quiet, while the other was more free-spirited.
Liu Yuan could recite the lines word for word, but something was always missing.
An actor must infuse emotion into their performance to truly bring a character to life, and clearly, Liu Yuan couldn't do that due to her innate personality.
"Frivolous...?"
Liu Yuan looked puzzled, and Furina also fell into contemplation.
Clearly, Liu Yuan might genuinely be unable to convey that feeling. Perhaps due to her special connection with Liu Yuan, she knew the girl's emotions were somewhat deficient.
So, she still couldn't understand certain emotions. What should she do then...?
Of course, first, she ruled out changing the actor. So, she could only modify the script again...
"Losoria!"
"Yes, Lady Furina!"
"The script, show it to me. Oh, and give me a pen."
"Alright!"
Losoria nodded earnestly, then handed the script and pen to Furina, her eyes full of respect.
In just a few performances, Furina had demonstrated Namiya's mental transformation from a village girl to someone in the heart of the palace, portraying emotions like nervousness, apprehension, and fear with exquisite skill.
She thoroughly showed the members of the Lake Light Troupe just how much weight the title "Fontaine's Most Talented Actor" carried.
However, what they didn't know was that for Furina, the role of Namiya wasn't much of a challenge.
After all... she only needed to re-enact her initial self when she first became the Hydro Archon...
Taking the script and pen, Furina looked at Ghost's character setting. After a quick glance, Furina compared it with the subsequent plot and finally made a decision.
Whether frivolous or calm, Liu Yuan and Ghost shared one thing in common: their gentleness towards her and Namiya.
Thinking of this, Furina nodded slightly, then returned the script to Losoria, and looked back at Liu Yuan on the stage.
"A Yuan, try a gentle tone again!"
"Gentle?"
"It's just..." Furina paused, glanced around, then leaned slightly closer to Liu Yuan, whispering in a voice only she and Liu Yuan could hear:
"It's the tone you used when you kissed me before!"
Furina tried her best to remain calm, as there were many people watching. She absolutely couldn't blush! Otherwise, it would be hard to explain!
"That tone?"
Liu Yuan was slightly stunned, then nodded gently. So, that tone was perceived as gentle by others?
She felt she had learned something new.
"I understand."
Liu Yuan nodded gently. If it was a rerun of a tone she had used before, it would be quite simple.
Seeing that Liu Yuan understood, Furina stepped back two paces, then spoke softly, "Then let's try it again!"
Furina took a deep breath, quickly got into character, and then said with a slightly fearful but grateful tone:
"Who... who are you?"
"Hm? You finally remembered to ask that question?"
Liu Yuan's lips curved into a slight smile, her tone no longer an awkward pretense of frivolity, but an overly genuine indulgence and gentleness.
"But before that, shouldn't you thank me?"
Perhaps from other people's perspective, Liu Yuan at this moment was merely a light blue figure, but in Furina's eyes, Liu Yuan was her true self.
Even though it was a performance, she could see that Liu Yuan's expression at this moment was just acting, but her tone and the emotions it contained were incredibly real.
For a moment, Furina was slightly lost in thought, but fortunately, the distraction didn't last long. This made Furina react, and she quickly began to speak her lines.
"Ah! Right, thank you... thank you. If it weren't for your reminder, I would have certainly given myself away just now!"
The girl said with a grateful tone, and the genuine emotion contained within it was not in the least bit false.
And so, the rehearsal proceeded smoothly, little by little.
---
"Hey, Losoria."
A girl, holding her lunch, approached Losoria. Her name was Noria, the prop master for the Lake Light Troupe, responsible for all the props needed for performances, and occasionally doubling as a costume designer.
She and Losoria had joined the Lake Light Troupe together and could be considered very good friends.
"What's wrong, Noria?"
"Don't you think Lady Furina and Miss Yuan's relationship seems a bit... unusual?"
Noria's eyes sparkled, and Losoria had seen that sparkle before.
Because of a chance encounter, Noria had come across light novels from Inazuma — and not just ordinary light novels!
In short, Noria had developed the bad habit of wanting to "ship" anything she saw.
For example, more recently, she had "shipped" the troupe leader Griel and the director Milos, even spouting nonsense like, "This kind of mutually supportive friendship is just too shippable!"
And now, Noria, as expected, turned her gaze towards Lady Furina and Miss Yuan.
"You're at it again?"
"No, no! I'm serious! I really think Lady Furina and Miss Yuan's relationship seems unusual!"
This time, a rare trace of seriousness appeared in Noria's eyes, which usually sparkled with 'shipping scientist' fervor.
"Alright, Noria, maybe it's because Miss Yuan is Lady Furina's familiar? Anyway, it's definitely not what you're thinking."
Losoria had no choice but to try and make her friend, who wanted to "ship" everything, rein it in a bit. Otherwise, what if Lady Furina got angry and just left?
Noria, meanwhile, fell into contemplation. "Is it... really just a familiar?"
.
.
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_