The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 192: Chapter 193: The Princess and the Adventurer

The academy grounds had been transformed completely for the occasion.

Unlike an ordinary school event, the festival wasn’t being held in a single hall. Each group had been assigned its own performance venue, allowing all four groups to perform their plays without interfering with one another.

Group 1 had already finished their performance.

Group 2 had just completed theirs.

The audience in the venue assigned to Group 4 was still applauding as the final members of Group 2 bowed together on the stage.

Students filled the seats throughout the hall.

First-year students sat beside second-years, third-years beside fourth-years, while several instructors occupied the rows closer to the front. Even some professors who rarely attended student activities had come to watch the performances.

The atmosphere was lively.

People whispered about the previous performance.

Some discussed their favorite actors.

Others were already speculating about what Group 4 had prepared.

"Do you know what they’re performing?"

"I heard it’s a romance."

"A romance?"

"Yeah. It’s supposed to be pretty emotional."

"Who are the main characters?"

"I heard Ares D’Averon is playing the male lead."

Several students immediately reacted.

"Ares?"

"Seriously?"

"He’s playing the lead?"

Someone laughed.

"I can’t imagine him acting in a romance."

"Neither can I."

Near the entrance to the backstage area, however, there was little time for Ares to worry about what people thought.

The members of Group 4 were already preparing.

Everyone had changed into their costumes.

Ares stood quietly in front of a mirror.

His costume was simple.

A worn brown coat rested over a plain shirt, with dark trousers and old leather boots completing the appearance of a young adventurer who had spent most of his life traveling from one town to another.

He looked exactly like the character he was supposed to portray.

Kael.

A poor adventurer.

Ares adjusted the collar of his coat.

"...This is embarrassing."

Rhal, standing nearby in the costume of another adventurer, laughed.

Several of the other actors laughed quietly.

On the opposite side of the backstage area, Princess Lyra was already dressed as Elena.

Her costume was considerably different.

A long, elegant dress covered her figure, its design refined enough to immediately suggest nobility without appearing excessively extravagant. Her hair had been carefully arranged, and the simple accessories she wore completed the appearance of a princess from a wealthy family.

But once she stepped onto the stage, she would no longer be Lyra.

She would be Elena.

Her parents, played by two fourth-year students, were already dressed as well.

The other supporting actors had completed their costumes.

Everything was ready.

A stagehand peeked backstage.

"Five minutes!"

The actors immediately became quieter.

The excitement that had filled the backstage area gradually disappeared.

Everyone knew that this was no longer rehearsal.

This was the actual performance.

Ares took a slow breath.

Lyra glanced toward him.

Their eyes met.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Then Lyra smiled faintly.

"Ready?"

Ares sighed.

"As ready as I’ll ever be."

She laughed softly.

"Don’t worry."

The stagehand raised a hand.

"Places!"

The actors moved.

The audience gradually became quiet.

The final conversations disappeared.

The instructors settled into their seats.

The lights dimmed.

A long curtain covered the entire stage.

For several seconds, nothing happened.

Then the hall became completely silent.

The curtain began to move.

Slowly.

Quietly.

It opened from the center, revealing the stage beyond.

The first scene began.

---

A river flowed quietly through the forest.

The stage had been transformed beautifully.

Blue fabric and carefully arranged lighting created the appearance of flowing water, while artificial trees surrounded the riverbank. Small flowers had been placed along the edge of the stage, and hidden speakers produced the gentle sounds of birds singing in the distance.

A young woman stood beside the river.

Elena.

She was holding nothing.

She simply stood there with her eyes closed.

Then she began to sing.

Her voice was soft.

Not loud enough to dominate the entire hall.

It didn’t need to.

The melody was gentle, carrying the peaceful feeling of someone who had come to the river simply because it was the only place where she could forget about the expectations waiting for her at home.

Several students in the audience became quiet.

The instructors watched without speaking.

Even the students who had been whispering moments earlier stopped.

Elena continued singing.

A few performers hidden behind the scenery moved their hands, creating the illusion of birds moving through the trees.

Then footsteps were heard.

Kael appeared from the opposite side of the stage.

He carried a small bag over one shoulder.

He was clearly exhausted.

He stopped.

His eyes moved toward the river.

Then toward Elena.

He stared.

For several seconds, he simply watched her.

The audience remained silent.

Kael slowly whispered.

"S-she’s beautiful..."

A few students in the audience smiled.

Someone quietly whispered,

"He’s already falling for her."

Another student gently nudged them.

"Shh."

Kael took another step.

A branch snapped beneath his foot.

Elena stopped singing.

She turned.

Their eyes met.

Neither moved.

Kael immediately looked away.

"Ah..."

Elena tilted her head.

"Are you lost?"

Kael looked back.

"No."

He hesitated.

"Actually, I was passing through."

Elena smiled.

"Then why are you standing there?"

Kael scratched the back of his head.

"T-that’s, I heard someone singing."

"And then?"

"And I wanted to see who it was."

Elena smiled slightly.

"Was I worth stopping for?"

Kael looked at her.

For a moment, he seemed to forget what he was supposed to say.

Then he answered honestly.

"Yes."

The audience reacted immediately.

Several students laughed softly.

A few girls covered their mouths.

Someone whispered,

"That was smooth."

Another replied,

"He didn’t even mean to be."

Elena laughed.

"You really are strange."

Kael smiled.

"I get that a lot."

She looked toward the road.

"Are you an adventurer?"

Kael nodded.

"Yes."

"Is it dangerous?"

"Sometimes."

"Do you enjoy it?"

Kael thought about it.

"I enjoy being able to go wherever I want."

Elena looked at him.

"You’re free."

"Mostly."

He smiled.

"Although being poor does make freedom a little less comfortable."

Elena laughed.

For the first time, her expression seemed genuinely relaxed.

The scene continued.

They talked beside the river.

Neither knew who the other truly was.

They simply enjoyed the conversation.

Eventually, Elena looked toward the setting sun.

"I should go."

Kael nodded.

"Will you come back?"

Elena stopped.

She turned toward him.

"Would you like me to?"

Kael smiled.

"Yes."

Elena smiled back.

"Then perhaps I will."

She walked away.

Kael remained beside the river.

He watched her disappear.

Then he quietly smiled.

The curtain began closing.

The audience immediately reacted.

"That was cute."

"They have good chemistry."

"Princess Lyra is really good."

"Ares too."

One instructor smiled.

"I didn’t expect him to act that naturally."

The curtain closed completely.

---

The lights changed.

The river disappeared.

The forest returned.

This time, Kael and Elena were meeting beneath the trees.

Then another scene.

The river again.

Another day.

Another meeting.

Sometimes they talked.

Sometimes they simply walked together.

Sometimes Elena would sit beside the water while Kael told her stories about the places he had visited.

Kael spoke about distant towns.

Strange monsters.

Dangerous roads.

The small victories of an adventurer who rarely had enough money to stay in one place for long.

Elena listened.

She told him about books she had read.

Places she wanted to visit.

The things she wished she could experience beyond the walls of the castle.

Their worlds were completely different.

Yet whenever they were together, neither seemed to care.

The scenes moved forward.

The river.

The forest.

A quiet hill covered in flowers.

The two of them sitting together while looking toward distant mountains.

The audience gradually became quieter.

The laughter from the beginning disappeared.

They were becoming invested in the story.

Then came the scene the group had practiced so many times.

Kael and Elena sat among the flowers.

The mountains stretched across the background.

Elena rested her hands beside her.

"If you could go anywhere..."

She looked toward Kael.

"Where would you go?"

Kael thought about it.

"Somewhere quiet."

"Quiet?"

"Somewhere without nobles."

Elena laughed.

"That’s a strangely specific requirement."

Kael smiled.

"I’ve met enough nobles to know what I’m talking about."

Elena lowered her gaze.

"What if you could live anywhere with the person you loved?"

Kael looked at her.

The question was different this time.

He understood.

"You mean you?"

Elena smiled faintly.

"Maybe."

Kael looked toward the mountains.

Then he smiled.

"I’d build a small house."

"How small?"

"Small enough that we wouldn’t have to spend all day cleaning it."

Elena laughed.

"You really don’t like work."

"I don’t mind work."

He glanced at her.

"I just prefer work that doesn’t involve cleaning."

She laughed again.

The audience smiled.

Then Elena became quieter.

"What would we do there?"

Kael looked toward the flowers.

"I’d grow vegetables."

"Vegetables?"

"Yes."

He pointed toward the valley.

"And maybe keep some animals."

Elena smiled.

"That sounds peaceful."

"It would be."

He looked at her.

"Would you like that?"

Elena didn’t answer immediately.

She looked toward the mountains.

Then she smiled.

"I think I would."

Kael reached for her hand.

Their fingers slowly intertwined.

"I’ll take you there someday."

Elena looked at him.

"Promise?"

Kael nodded.

"Promise."

The audience became completely silent.

One of the instructors lowered her gaze.

Another quietly sighed.

The scene continued.

The two remained together.

Their relationship deepened.

They met whenever Elena could escape the castle.

The river became their place.

The forest became their hiding place.

The flower-covered hill became the place where they spoke about the future.

Then—

Everything changed.

---

The curtain closed.

The audience murmured.

"What happened?"

"Why did it close?"

"It’s the next scene."

The lights changed.

The curtain opened again.

This time, the stage showed the interior of a grand castle.

Elena stood in the center.

Her parents stood before her.

The atmosphere was completely different.

Her father looked furious.

"Who is he?"

Elena lowered her head.

"No one."

Her mother stepped forward.

"Don’t lie to us."

Elena’s hands tightened around her dress.

"He is someone I care about."

Her father slammed his hand against the table.

"An adventurer?"

Elena flinched.

"I-im really sorry."

"You are a princess!."

His voice was harsh.

"Your marriage will determine the future of this family."

Elena shook her head.

"But father, I don’t want to marry someone I don’t love."

Her father stared at her.

"You don’t have a choice."

Silence.

Elena’s eyes filled with tears.

Her mother looked away.

"We have already arranged a marriage."

Elena’s expression collapsed.

"Mother..."

"He’s from a noble family."

Her father continued.

"He is educated, wealthy, and suitable for you."

"I don’t care."

"You will."

"No!"

Her voice broke.

"I love Kael."

The audience became completely silent.

Her father stepped toward her.

"You will never see him again."

Elena’s tears began falling.

"Please..."

"No."

"Please!"

Her mother turned away.

"Take her to her room."

Two attendants entered.

Elena struggled.

"Wait!"

"Mother, Father!"

She looked toward her parents.

"I love him!"

Her father didn’t answer.

The doors closed.

Elena collapsed to her knees.

The stage went dark.

The audience remained silent.

---

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