Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Theater Loading 2
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“Alright, let's run it one more time. Everyone, get into position. Focus!”
Professor Bertio usually came off as a bit dim, but the moment he started teaching acting or kicking off rehearsals, he turned into a completely different person.
A real tiger of a professor.
As the genius playwright lived up to his reputation, the play took shape, and the students' anticipation grew with every passing moment.
“Philia!”
Ares cried out passionately toward Rin. Just like before, it didn't feel like acting—it seemed genuine.
“Ahh, Geldmea!”
Rin let out a sorrowful voice too, but her steps were surprisingly light as her subordinate number one—May Flob—led her right up to me.
“Gerrrryyy!”
Ares charged at me, but Helia—Arni Duratan, playing my fellow villain and secretary—blocked his path.
Seated on the throne, I smirked, grabbed Rin's wrist, yanked her onto my lap, and rested a hand on her shoulder.
“She's mine.”
“Hold on a second.”
Professor Bertio suddenly cut in, approaching me with a regretful expression.
Was my acting awkward? I thought I'd really gotten into character.
“Gerry treats Philia like mere spoils of war, but your touch is too gentle. Rin, it's okay if he handles you a bit rougher, right?”
“Of course!”
Rin nodded brightly with a smile.
To everyone else, it probably looked like the professor was making an unreasonable request but softening it with consideration to avoid burdening her.
But to me, it felt laced with personal motives, so I scowled.
“Wasn't that rough enough just now?”
Professor Bertio shook his head.
“Needs to be rougher. Like you're in the heat of battle—feral! Oh, and you have to taunt Geldmea too!”
“......”
“Alright, let's go again.”
The professor turned away with a grin. I sighed, wondering what to do, when Rin tapped my shoulder from the side.
“I'm fine, so just do whatever feels right.”
“No, I'm not fine.”
It just felt embarrassing and off-putting.
Then, Rin's hand gripped my shoulder a little harder.
“Do it.”
“......”
She twisted away and returned to her spot.
“Haa.”
Fine, it was just a play. Maybe I was overthinking it with my personal feelings. This wasn't something I wanted to do.
“Philia!”
“Ahh, Geldmea!”
“Gerrrryyy!”
The rehearsal resumed.
Just like before, Arni Duratan blocked Ares, and May Flob offered Rin to me.
From my throne, I roughly yanked Rin toward me, sat her on my thigh, and wrapped an arm around her waist.
Yeah, I was Gerry.
The guy who'd make tears of blood stream from that Geldmea's eyes!
Fully immersed, I buried my nose in Rin's nape, locked eyes with Ares, and smirked.
“She's mine.”
“Ahh, yes, she is.”
“......Huh?”
“Uwaaaaaah!”
Ares roared in fury, but that was the end—he got knocked out by Arni.
But just now, amid Ares's roar, Rin had muttered a line that wasn't even in the script.
Something felt off, so I glanced at her. Her eyes were unfocused, drool trickling slightly from her mouth as she hugged me back fiercely.
“Okay! Cut! Perfect! Outstanding!”
Luckily, no one else seemed to notice, but Rin showed no sign of letting go.
“Uh, Rin? Can you get off now?”
“I'm yours. Yes, I am......”
Shocked by what she was saying, I shoved her away and stood up. She gazed at me with wistful eyes.
Sticking around any longer felt dangerous, so I pulled away quickly. Professor Bertio approached me right after.
“That was great just now! So feral, and the taunt at Geldmea was spot-on! Keep it up like that.”
“Y-Yeah......”
It felt a bit risky, but I nodded for now.
But Rin's antics continued.
“Let's go, Philia!”
Even in the scene where Ares and senior Aldric defeated me in the final battle and tried to take back their stolen lovers.
“......”
Rin deliberately lingered around me instead of leaving, muttering something under her breath.
“Could we maybe switch roles?”
And in the reveal where Gerry confesses his true love was his secretary Helia—Arni Duratan—she seriously went to Professor Bertio demanding a role change.
She's just indulging her personal whims here.
I thought she was working hard like everyone else, but no. Rin looked more passionate than anyone, but she was acting more selfishly than anyone too.
“Must be nice?”
May, fully committed to her role as my subordinate number one, grumbled beside me during the break.
She'd been chewing candy so much her jaws clicked noisily.
“Nice? Not at all.”
“Getting to legally grope girls—who wouldn't love that?”
“Haa, not me.”
Maybe it was from watching Ares as a cautionary tale.
Back in our village, I knew how much the girls who liked him suffered, so I had zero interest in this kind of thing.
“Hmm? Really?”
She hummed skeptically, but there was a hint of satisfaction in her tone.
Anyway, the rehearsal pressed on.
This time, the scene provoking Roben, played by senior Aldric.
“Come on out, Philoa and Elise.”
Philoa was a fourth-year senior, and Elise one of Ares's harem fish.
With her flashy golden blonde hair and an air of subtle elegance no one else had, she stood out.
Personally, she was the most striking and memorable in Ares's harem, though we'd had little interaction.
“Post-battle taunt scene. Let's start.”
After beating down senior Aldric, I stole his favorites: senior Philoa and Elise.
But seriously, what kind of play is this?
I wondered if this was really a student production, but it only got intense—no outright explicit scenes.
The story was just like that, with no skin shown, because Gerry saw women as mere trophies.
“Kuh!”
Senior Aldric fell with a frustrated glare up at me. I pulled senior Philoa and Elise into a hug.
“......!”
“Hng.”
They seemed a little startled, but if I didn't hold them, Professor Bertio would yell for another take. So I delivered my line right away.
“Sweet. Your women taste so very sweet.”
The practice went on, and the moment Professor Bertio shouted okay.
Senior Philoa shoved me away hard, storming off in annoyance. Elise shot me a cold, disgusted look before heading toward Ares.
Ah, I really wanna curse them out.
One goes berserk on me, the other whines about not wanting to.
“Haa.”
I scratched my head in irritation when May snuck up again.
“What's up?”
“Nah......”
I started to vent but shut my mouth, not wanting to seem whiny. But May had already caught on.
“Those bitches, right? It's just theater work, but they're making it miserable.”
“......Spot on.”
Thanks for saying it so bluntly.
May grinned mischievously.
“Ungrateful sluts. If it were me, I'd just take it gladly......”
I scowled harder as she swallowed hard, and she laughed it off as a joke.
“Guess I need to talk to them nicely.”
As if anyone thought I was enjoying this.
“Let's redo that scene. Actors, come on in.”
At Professor Bertio's call, the cast gathered again.
Senior Philoa wore an open look of reluctance, while Elise pretended nonchalance—but disgust seeped from her golden eyes.
My resolve to speak kindly crumpled and hit the trash.
“Hey.”
My voice came out low and laced with unintended anger.
Seeing them flinch suited me just fine.
“Cut the crap. You think this is playtime? It's a play. You read the script and signed up for it.”
“......”
“......”
They stared at me, dumbfounded. Like they never expected me to call them out directly.
“I get it. You hate some random guy touching you. But guess what? I hate it too. Having two random girls pressed up against me disgusts me. But we're doing it anyway.”
Wasn't all this chaos just to get to Yggdrasil once?
“Hoo. I'm not getting off on trash like you two.”
I glared at them coldly.
“Just play along.”
I jerked my chin for them to scram. They bowed their heads and left. Rehearsal started up again.
“Sweet. Your women taste so very sweet.”
With my final line, Professor Bertio's okay sign rang out once more.
“Great! Perfect! Especially Philoa and Elise—your terrified acting was brilliant. I really thought you were scared!”
“......”
They bolted without meeting my eyes, so it probably wasn't acting.