Their Thoughts
A luxurious carriage carrying three rising stars wound its way through the twisting forest path toward the capital. The interior was unbelievably opulent—a large limousine carriage sent by the Partita Guild. The three women couldn't hide their excitement at riding such a vehicle for the first time in their lives. There was enough space to stretch out their legs, soft silk cushions and curtains, backrests stuffed full of cotton. Even the window frames gleamed with gold. The comfort never wavered, even when the wheels jolted over bumps.
"Ugh, the more I think about it, the madder I get. We should've at least gotten an apology."
Maribel crossed her legs and folded her arms. "Did you see that look in his eyes? That smug gaze thinking it was all thanks to him. So annoying."
"I... I saw it too... a little... it was kinda scary," Clara said timidly, nodding.
Lilfrea silently turned her head toward the window, brushing her hair behind her ear.
"Remember how he'd nag every day? 'Vocal basics~ No emotion~'" Maribel mimicked Seru's familiar tone, and the other two burst out laughing at the same time.
"No emotion? Please. If it didn't fit his standards, it was all wrong. Emotion this, that—whatever, it was all about his tastes."
A faint sneer curled at the corner of Lilfrea's lips. "He'll realize it soon enough. Without us, he's nothing."
"Exactly! He'll feel it in his bones how amazing we were. Just watch. See how long he lasts without us."
"But... he did work really hard to help us..." Clara ventured cautiously, and Maribel nudged her with an elbow.
"Hard? He kept us locked up, made us move only in his little box. Even tried to control our emotions. That wasn't real. He called it not art. That was gaslighting."
"G-gaslighting..." Clara pressed a hand to her chest and took a slow breath. Thinking back, she wondered if she'd been manipulated—tamed by his words, his expressions, that gentle gaze. A chill settled in one corner of her heart.
"Enough about the past," Lilfrea cut in. "A real stage that needs us is waiting. No need to look back. Just look ahead."
"Yeah, time to break free from that guy and start fresh." Maribel grinned with eager anticipation. "Seru was too small a vessel—he couldn't hold us. We're going higher."
"...Yeah." Clara smiled. Lilfrea nodded quietly too.
"Partita's assigning twenty people per person to take care of us, so we can focus without worries."
"No more walking to save money."
"No more worrying about every meal."
"No need to draw our own eyebrows."
"We won't have to watch our spending on clothes... right?"
"Of course. Partita's covering all conveniences. Plus styling allowances—cosmetics, hair, jewelry, everything."
The three exchanged glances and laughed. In that mix of tension and excitement, the carriage filled with energy.
Lilfrea started first, naturally laying down the bass line. A clear tone rang out like clinking glass.
"La la la~ La la, la la la la~♪"
"Under the sparkling lights, everyone's looking at me~♪ Now I finally feel like the real me~♪"
"This trembling heart, I won't forget~♪ Dreams are finally becoming reality~♬"
Their voices blended, turning the carriage into a miniature stage in an instant. The song of the rising stars dreaming of a brilliant future spilled out the window, filling the forest path. The escorting knights, the coachman—all smiled warmly as they listened.
And then—the carriage, lost in the song and off guard, jolted violently. Something fell from the ceiling with a thud.
Thump!
"Eek!" Maribel shrieked, flinching. Their harmony cut off sharply.
"Didn't tie the luggage right? Almost hit me!"
"It's mine." Lilfrea said flatly. She bent down casually and picked up the bag. But it was half-open, and underwear and a perfume bottle rolled out onto the floor.
"Lilfrea! You should've tied this properly! What if that perfume bottle hit my head?"
Maribel snapped, and Clara just blinked in bewilderment.
"I've never done this stuff well. He always handled the packing."
Clara fidgeted beside her. "When Teacher Seru was here, this never happened... We're still clumsy on our own. Calm down, Maribel..."
"Yeah, he was good at organizing. Like a bottom-rung slave." Lilfrea stuffed the items back one by one. Her voice was calm, but a thin veil of irritation flickered in her eyes. She seemed offended by Maribel making a fuss over something trivial.
Silence fell for a moment.
"He really was insanely good at packing, that guy."
Maribel muttered suddenly. Clara added hesitantly, "He handled everything for us so smoothly... Sometimes too ahead, it was surprising."
Lilfrea chuckled lowly. "Nosiness at that level is a disease. He ran around busier than us. All day long."
"Right. Carried all the luggage, set up the stage, grabbed snacks, timed everything, checked if we were uncomfortable—constantly. We just sat and did makeup."
"Definitely... Teacher Seru was good at his job..."
At Maribel and Clara's words, Lilfrea furrowed her brow and shot back. "Stop romanticizing it. We left for good reasons."
Maribel snapped out of it and scowled too. "Pretended to accommodate but forced his standards on everything. Emotions, style, song interpretation—all of it. Sick of the nagging."
The carriage lurched again as it bounced over a thick tree root jutting from the ground. This time, Clara bumped her forehead against the wall. "Ow..."
"Clara! You okay?"
"Yeah... hurts, but I'm fine."
Rubbing her forehead, Clara said quietly, "If Teacher Seru were here, he'd have warned us ahead... 'Dangerous section, be careful'... He always checked the map for hazards..."
Maribel snorted. "Enough about that guy. He's gone."
"Yeah... but little things keep coming to mind..."
No one denied it. For a moment, the air in the carriage cooled like a cold wind.
All three knew it. With Seru gone, things felt a bit inconvenient. But their future was bright enough to endure it.
Lilfrea, staring out the window, spoke softly. "...We never meant to discard him. He just... didn't have enough to keep up with us."
"Yeah."
"True..."
Maribel and Clara agreed quietly.
Slowly, distantly, Lilfrea's gaze out the window drifted to the past.
A small performance had just ended, and at the end of the dingy inn corridor stood an unfamiliar woman. A cloak adorned with flashy silver embroidery, the hem bearing the Partita emblem.
"Great show. You all have real talent. A shame to be under Seru."
"Uh... who are you?"
"From the Partita Guild, which produced one of the Kingdom's Ten Stars, Auroria."
At those words, Lilfrea's eyes widened, Maribel swallowed hard, and Clara froze.
"Auroria's guild!?"
Bards were ranked by skill.
Golden String—A-rank, kingdom representatives who could shake the nation with a single name.
Pure String—B-rank, city stars.
Harmonious String—C-rank, average performers who busked on streets.
Singing Novice—D-rank, rookies and trainees, nobodies.
The Edelan Kingdom selected the top ten Golden String bards and dubbed them the Edelan Ten Stars.
"You watched our show?"
"Of course. I saw Lilfrea, Maribel, and Clara sing everything. Partita doesn't let rising stars like you slip away."
That night, the woman who introduced herself as Laysha led them to a spacious inn room—secretly, without Seru knowing as he cleaned up. And softly, like a trap, she dangled words.
"A small gift from our guild master. Keep it."
Inside the box: three silver bracelets and twelve gleaming gold coins. That shine shook their eyes.
"Pocket money."
"C-can we accept this?"
"No burden. Our guild master can't contain his joy at finding gems. How long will you roam villages? Don't you have dreams? Want to try real music on a proper stage...?"
Back then, all three had shaken their heads, wary. But...
A few days later, meeting Laysha secretly again, she wasn't alone. Beside her stood a legendary figure.
One of the Kingdom's Ten Stars. Golden String Auroria Bacher.
In her sea-blue dress, she gently took their hands. "I started on small stages like you. Then I met Partita."
"Really... we'll make it there?"
"Better than now, at least. Talented girls like you need systematic training and systems ASAP. How will you grow following one guy?"
The senior star Auroria's advice was enough to sway their hearts.
Back to the present. Inside the carriage.
"...It wasn't money or fame that tempted us," Lilfrea murmured seriously. "We just... wanted that world too badly."
Maribel nodded faintly. "That woman—what was her name? The Ten Stars member."
"Auroria Bacher..." Clara answered quietly, adding, "Even if Teacher took good care of us... it wasn't enough... sorry..."
"That short song she sang that day... still remember it. Magic sound."
Maribel continued, and Lilfrea nodded calmly, crossing her legs. "We seized our chance. Seru was too pathetic to handle us, and we were destined for bigger stages."
The other two just listened. No one thought to shake their heads.
Lilfrea's words captured their feelings perfectly.
"Seru will manage somehow. Thrashing in his little pond, no future though."
"Yeah, who knows if anyone will like what he does. Tried teaching us daily but learned the least himself. Heh."
"Maybe we put up with too much... lots we couldn't say..."
The carriage carrying them—erasing the past, dreaming of the future—jolted across the forest path. The road beneath the wheels stayed rough for a long time.