IWBAACTWITOS Chapter 13

The actor on stage looked around, then swung his short sword.

"Miss, wait just a moment! I'll rescue you."

He moved as if fighting someone, then fell, and before long curled up his body.

Only the protagonist and the actress playing the goddess were on stage.

The goddess just watched. Only the protagonist moved.

From the scene where he fought someone to the scene where he grabbed someone's hand and escaped from the bandits' den—he acted as if there were other actors present, repeating exaggerated gestures and reckless actions.

The protagonist tried to rescue someone but ended up captured instead. He traveled the world with the young lady who helped him escape from the bandits' den, spending his life together with her.

After a long time living happily, the one he'd spent his whole life with departed first, and when it came time for the protagonist himself to end his life, he shed tears for the first time.

Then he asked the goddess who had silently watched over him throughout the play:

"Goddess of comedy, Thaleia of joy, was my comedy entertaining?"

Upon hearing those words, the goddess—unlike her expressionless watching from afar—approached the protagonist, smiled, and stroked his head.

As it gradually darkened, the goddess's hand was glowing.

'Comedy. Right, she was the goddess of comedy.'

Thaleia was the name of the goddess who presided over comedy among the nine Muses in Greek and Roman mythology.

Though Aegis's name also came from Greek mythology, this was a world dominated by monotheistic religion, so there were no other religions, especially polytheistic ones.

'But where did this story about the goddess of comedy suddenly come from?'

While I was lost in thought, the curtain call began, and Julian informed me that I should clap.

The theater seats were packed full, but somehow there was no energy.

Only a few people enthusiastically responded each time the actors bowed.

Perhaps because we stood out, the actress playing the goddess looked our way, smiled brightly, and waved both hands at us.

After even the curtain call ended and people began leaving their seats one by one, Julian picked me up.

His steps led not outside the theater but to the waiting room behind the stage.

When Julian entered the waiting room, everyone busily cleaning up greeted him with welcoming faces.

"Your Grace!"

"How has everyone been?"

"We've been well, of course. It's been years since we've seen you like this."

"Haha, it's hard to make time because of the kids."

At those words, everyone's eyes focused on me, held in Julian's arms. I scrunched up my face at their gazes, like they were staring at some strange creature.

"Oh my."

"She looks exactly like His Grace."

At the comment that I looked exactly like him, Julian's shoulders lifted. Even in my opinion, I did look far too much like Julian, but seeing him act so proud made me not want to acknowledge it.

"No way, Dad and I don't look alike at all. My dad's ugly."

At my words calling him ugly, the troupe members looked between me and Julian, then burst into laughter. Julian nodded as if accustomed to this.

"Right, right. Unlike me, my daughter's really pretty, isn't she?"

When Julian lifted me high into the air as if showing me off, I flailed, trying to escape from him.

Unable to withstand my struggling, Julian put me down before long.

The moment my feet touched the ground, I gestured for Julian to lend me his ear.

"Dad."

"What?"

"Remember my words clearly. Do this one more time and I'll break you."

After whispering in his ear, I demonstrated by grabbing the rabbit doll's head and body and twisting it like wringing out a rag.

At my death threat, Julian laughed and apologized.

"Hello, Princess."

The actress who played the goddess greeted me first with a smile. She crouched down to meet my eye level and spread both hands, waving them—completely different from the unapproachable atmosphere she'd had on stage.

I entrusted the rabbit doll—whose head seemed about to separate from its body with just a bit more force—to Julian, then checked both her palms.

"Your hands, they don't sparkle."

"Earlier they sparkled because I'd applied cosmetics. Did you like it? Should I apply some to you too, Princess?"

"No."

At my firm answer, the actress laughed awkwardly. Julian stroked my head and said:

"Tilly, first, when someone greets you, you should greet them back. Sorry, Tilly's gotten more temperamental lately."

"Not at all, Your Grace."

At Julian's correction, I coughed and belatedly greeted her. The actress smiled at my greeting.

Starting with her, the troupe members competed to introduce themselves. The last person to greet me was a middle-aged man with an extremely stern-looking impression.

"I'm Willie, the resident playwright and troupe leader here."

"Resident playwright?"

"Yes. Ah, do you know what a playwright is?"

"Yeah, did you write that play from earlier too, mister?"

"Yes, did you enjoy the performance we put on?"

When I nodded, all the troupe members simultaneously let out sighs of relief. Willie smiled and praised me, saying I understood art like my parents.

"Haha, I'm supposedly the resident playwright, but the problem is that my plays sell the least. Without the patronage of His Grace and the Count, all our troupe members would have starved to death on the streets."

When I pressed my lips shut without saying anything, Willie's smiling expression crumbled. Flustered, he whispered to the actor beside him:

"...Was that joke not funny?"

"Honestly, it's not really a funny story. It's hard for kids to understand too."

At those words, Willie laughed awkwardly and changed the subject.

"Have you seen theater before?"

"...Only puppet shows."

"Puppet shows... Those are excellent theater too. Do you like puppet shows?"

"Puppet shows are childish. I like Willie mister's theater better."

At my answer, Willie's cheekbones rose as if ascending to heaven. Despite his impression, it was a truly pure smile.

"Do you think it will become a good hobby?"

"Hobby..."

'I did used to go see musicals and plays quite often before, though the problem was it cost a lot of money.'

I was originally someone with many hobbies, a so-called jack-of-all-trades fan. In this child's body, there was hardly anything I could enjoy besides fairy tales, but after watching theater for the first time in ages, I felt incredibly pleased.

'No, I can't waste my life on fandom again...'

"If the Princess takes theater as a hobby, we won't charge admission from now on."

"Really?"

"Willie, where are you trying to scam? Our family gets in free anyway."

At Julian's correction, all the troupe members burst into laughter. Only I didn't laugh, glaring at Willie, and he scratched his head and made a show of it.

"For the Princess, you can visit anytime and we'll show you theater for free."

"I can visit whenever?"

"Yes, anytime."

At Willie's words that she could visit anytime, Thaleia looked up at Julian. When Julian tilted his head, Thaleia asked:

"Can I visit when Mom and Dad aren't around?"

When Thaleia, who aside from when she was a baby had never left the mansion, suddenly requested to go out alone, Julian firmly shook his head.

"No. The outside is so dangerous, why would you go around by yourself?"

At Julian's words, Thaleia looked at him as if he'd said something very strange.

"Why would I go around by myself?"

"Huh?"

"I'm only four years old, how could I go around by myself? I'll tell Nanny first, then come with a maid and a knight. I won't stay out too late. At the latest, I'll come back with Mom and Dad on your way home from work."

"...What will you do here?"

"Come to the theater to watch plays, what else?"

"Was the play that entertaining?"

"Yeah."

"Can't you come watch again next time with Mom or Dad?"

"When I want to watch a play, Mom and Dad can't bring me right away."

"That's, that's true."

"Dad, I know all the secret passages in the mansion. If I was going to go out alone, I would've done it long ago."

In other words, she could go out but chose not to. Certainly, if Thaleia really intended to go out alone, she wouldn't have asked for permission like this.

Besides, if she went with a guardian, there wouldn't be much problem.

'But she's only four years old?'

Of course, Thaleia was far too mature and smart for a four-year-old, but there were many concerning points about allowing her to go out carelessly.

"G-get permission from your mother first."

"Of course I have to get permission from Mom."

Thaleia answered as if she'd known from the start that Roxana was the final decision-maker.

Julian belatedly realized his young daughter had teased him again. At Julian's look of exasperation, Thaleia grinned mischievously and turned her attention to the props on stage.

Julian tilted his head, watching Thaleia mingle comfortably with the actors.

'Something seems different.'

Though hard to pinpoint exactly, Thaleia's attitude had suddenly changed. She seemed to be acting more affectionate, but children were inherently unpredictable, so perhaps it was just today.

'Well, whatever... It's good if she's being affectionate. Today she even kissed Mom first.'

Though she hadn't kissed him, Julian decided to think of it as a positive change. As he observed Thaleia, his gaze lingered, and Willie chuckled.

"It's been a while, but you seem to have changed a lot, Your Grace."

"Do I seem that way?"

"Yes, you've changed greatly."

Having answered thus, Willie glanced sideways at Thaleia. They both knew his change was thanks to Thaleia.

'Certainly...'

"Dad, look at this!"

Thaleia, holding the comedy mask up to her own face, called Julian.

The mask was comically large compared to the child's small face. But even that sight looked like a goddess in Julian's eyes.

Julian wanted to ask the gods, like the protagonist in the play: Was my comedy entertaining?