Chapter 483 : Script Reading Session
Chapter 483: Script Reading Session
After quickly finishing lunch, Janna put on her wizard robe and swiftly left the White Tower. From the 【Thorn Bracelet】, she took out the Flying Broom she had recently purchased, then followed Dordogne’s designated high-altitude flight route toward the Nightingale Opera House located in the city center.
"Janna, I’m here—"
The moment Janna’s feet touched down at the Nightingale Opera House, she heard the voice of Lichi-Siose, who had arrived right on time as well.
"I thought I was going to be late, but seeing you here makes me feel relieved."
Noticing Lichi-Siose’s slightly messy hair, Janna tidied her own while helping fix Lichi-Siose’s as well.
"What’s this? Are you saying that having someone else late with you makes you feel less lonely?"
"That’s not it at all."
Hearing Janna’s words, Lichi-Siose, now with her hair fixed, naturally looped her arm around Janna’s and shook her head.
"Don’t you know? In the entire troupe, you’re the only one who doesn’t get scolded by the director or by David-Berg whenever you make a mistake.
Anyone else who slips up even a little gets harshly criticized!"
"Is that so?"
Hearing that, Janna took a moment to recall how Roman-Roland, the troupe leader, and David-Berg treated her.
Just as Lichi-Siose said, since joining the Nightingale Opera Troupe, Janna had never been criticized by either of them.
Roman-Roland, who usually wore a cold expression toward everyone, and even the seemingly easygoing David-Berg, both turned irritable once work began.
At present, David-Berg’s temper usually flared when it came to others’ professional competence and work ethic.
Especially toward opera performers—if anyone dared to be careless with lines, acting, singing, or stage blocking, they would immediately face David-Berg’s “Wrath of Thunder.”
For example, Lichi-Siose herself had been scolded multiple times for forgetting lines or failing to cry during tragic scenes. A few of those times were so severe that she nearly developed a psychological shadow from the berating.
As for Janna, being the “star pupil” of the Nightingale Opera Troupe, she was seen by everyone as a “divine being” whom the director never reprimanded. Whether it was her professional skill or work attitude, she earned universal admiration.
Aside from her 【Exceptional Memory】 talent, which ensured she never made mistakes in line memorization, her 【Muscle Control】 and 【Voice of the Heavens】 talents made her flawless in both acting and opera singing—so perfect that no one could find fault.
Of course, beyond her formidable skillset, Janna’s innate 【Extraordinary Charm】 talent also made her the troupe’s “beloved darling,” and one of the reasons why David-Berg never criticized her.
"Let’s go. If we’re any later, we really might end up being late."
After chatting for a bit and noticing that the time left on her pocket watch was running short, Janna put away her Flying Broom and, together with Lichi-Siose, hurried into the newly renovated rehearsal hall of the New Nightingale Opera House on the fourth floor. By the time they entered, nearly all the other performers had already arrived.
The cast for 『Withering Rose』 consisted mostly of veteran performers Janna had worked with before, such as Freya and Hill, though there were also a few newly recruited actors from Dordogne.
"Janna, it’s been a while."
As always, when Janna stepped into the rehearsal hall, she immediately became the center of attention. Whether it was those who knew her or those who didn’t, everyone greeted her without hesitation.
Being naturally sociable, Janna responded warmly, accurately calling out each person’s name.
"Shuka, it’s been a while—so you came to Dordogne too."
The man greeting her was none other than Shuka-Berg, David-Berg’s younger brother and Janna’s exclusive male lead in her last two operas.
He was also one of the most popular members of the Nightingale Opera Troupe, second only to Janna and Anna-Moonshadow.
"I thought you’d stay in Turin with Miss Anna, continuing as Director Clann’s leading man."
"Haha, I was planning to, but Director David couldn’t bear to part with me—"
The original Nightingale Opera Troupe located in the Turin wizard district was now fully managed by Clann-Roland.
As one of the leading ladies of the troupe, Anna-Moonshadow had chosen to remain with Clann-Roland in the Turin wizard district rather than coming to Dordogne.
"Janna, you’re finally here! I’ve been waiting for you forever!"
While Janna and Shuka-Berg were exchanging greetings, David-Berg—whose beard now covered most of his face—strode quickly over to her.
"David, compared to before, you look a lot more… rugged today."
"Really?"
Hearing that, David absentmindedly stroked his thick beard, then shrugged indifferently.
"Beards are a symbol of masculine charm—you just don’t know how to appreciate it."
"Then my sense of appreciation certainly needs improvement."
Although David-Berg’s appearance had roughened somewhat, judging from his demeanor, Janna could tell his mental state was still solid—he hadn’t been crushed by stress.
"Oh right, I received your message yesterday—according to your letter, you also prepared a few musical pieces for 『Withering Rose』, didn’t you?"
"Yes."
Upon hearing that, not only David-Berg but also Shuka-Berg and Lichi-Siose, standing beside Janna, looked surprised.
"Janna, since when did you have a talent for composing music?"
After a brief moment of surprise, Shuka-Berg couldn’t help but ask.
"Well, after spending so much time with artists like you, I’ve naturally absorbed a bit of artistry myself. But really, these are just a few harp melodies I composed on a whim during practice. They might not even be stage-worthy."
Hearing that, Lichi-Siose felt an involuntary wave of relief.
As a seasoned opera performer and sound-affinity apprentice, she deeply understood the difference between performance and creation.
Performing an opera piece relied on excellent vocal ability, emotional understanding of the role, and repeated practice to achieve mastery.
However, composing music required an exceptionally high level of artistic talent—especially to create a melody that resonated with the public and stirred universal emotion. That was as difficult as reaching the heavens…—·