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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 56: Nova’s Day Off (2)
Inside the Kahran Theater, the place was packed with people who had come to see the play.
Nova guided Calyx to the central VIP seats, which she had reserved in advance—the most expensive ones, offering the best view.
These central VIP seats had another… notable feature: they were couple’s seats.
“This is our spot, Kalts.”
“Nova… this seat seems kind of unusual compared to the others.”
“It—it’s just your imagination!”
Calyx glanced at the unusually close-together seats and found it a little odd.
But since he had never sat in a couple’s seat in his previous life, he chalked it up to imagination, just like Nova said, and sat down.
Behind them, Lana and Azelle slipped in quietly and took their own seats.
Soon after, the heavy curtains fell, and the play began.
『The Monster at Dawn』told the story of an adventurer cursed by a dungeon, who asks for shelter for the night—
“Excuse me… I don’t have anywhere to sleep… would it be possible to stay just for tonight?”
“Y-Yes, um, use the guest room.”
The adventurer bore a hideous black tattoo across his face, a mark of the curse.
Still, the main character’s family, adhering to the customs of hospitality, let him stay in their guest room for the night.
As the play went on, the stage effects became more vivid, the acting intense, the magic tricks subtle but effective—fear began to creep through the theater like fog.
But Nova? She was bored.
’After seeing real war, this just feels dull.’
Having witnessed real battles and true horror firsthand, Nova found the play utterly unscary.
What did have her attention, though, was Calyx’s hand.
’Lord Calyx… I wanna hold your hand.’
One of Nova’s missions on this date? Hold Calyx’s hand.
She loved romance novels.
In them, couples always ended up holding hands during scary plays like this—you know, the classic trope.
That’s exactly why she planned today’s outing.
But the play just wasn’t scary enough to make it happen naturally.
’My lord is…’
“……”
Calyx sat there, eyes locked on the stage, face dead serious.
He looked… into it.
Nova figured she shouldn’t interrupt.
But what was really going on with Calyx was—
’Think happy thoughts. Happy thoughts. Not scary. Just acting. That’s not real, nope…’
He was fighting for his life, desperately trying to blur his vision and avoid looking directly at the scary scenes.
If he so much as screamed, his dignity as a noble would take a serious hit.
So Calyx clenched his jaw and focused on holding it together.
Meanwhile, the play marched on.
It was now the morning after the adventurer’s stay.
The adventurer had vanished without a trace, and the family assumed he had simply left during the night.
But that’s when the weird stuff began.
At midnight, the dogs and pigs started howling.
Doors throughout the house started swinging open by themselves…
Even when the family assumed it was just the wind and locked the doors, the strange events kept happening.
And then… THAT day came.
Their daughter, Nora, said there was a monster under her bed and she was scared.
The parents thought it was just a childish prank, but Nora cried so hard that her father said he'd go check for himself.
So, sweating nervously, the father slowly bent down to peek under her bed.
Tense music played. The audience held their breath, imagining what might be lurking down there.
And finally, the father looked.
And then—
“What? There’s nothing here.”
There was nothing under the bed.
The father sighed in relief, and so did the audience watching the scene unfold.
Then—
“Sweetie! There’s nothing under the bed. So don’t worry, okay—?”
The father turned back to look at his daughter, now completely at ease.
But she was gone.
And behind him stood the adventurer—now transformed into a grotesque black monster—grinning hideously at him.
From a distance, the girl’s voice called out—
“Dad? I’m in the bathroom. Did you call me?”
“……”
Whoosh—CRACK—!
Right after her voice faded, the black monster lunged at the father.
A burst of crimson light exploded across the stage, accompanied by jarring music meant to terrify.
“KYAAAAA!!!”
Flinch!
Calyx flinched, clearly startled, but he held himself together—it was just a quick jolt.
Just when he resolved to endure the next scary scene too—
Something exploded behind them.
“O Moonlight, answer me!”
FLASH—!
“EEK!!!”
Caught off guard by the sudden outburst, the blinding green light, and the piercing scream from right behind him—this time, Calyx was genuinely terrified.
And before he could stop himself, he instinctively grabbed Nova’s hand.
TIGHT—!
‘…AAAHHHHHHH!!!’
Nova—who hadn’t even flinched during any of the scary scenes—was now the most shocked she’d ever been in her life.
Calyx’s hand was large, warm… and he was gripping her hand very tightly.
Nova froze, stiff with shock.
And Calyx, drenched in cold sweat, froze right along with her.
Maybe they were both too shaken—
Because neither of them heard the voices coming from behind them.
“What are you doing, Azelle?! Are you trying to blow up the whole theater?”
“But… it was REALLY scary, Lana…”
Thankfully, the audience just assumed it was all part of the play’s special effects.
Even the theater staff thought a surprise scene had been added without their knowledge, and the show continued.
For the next hour, until the play ended, Calyx and Nova remained frozen in place, still holding hands the entire time.
＊ ＊ ＊
After the play ended, not a single word was exchanged between Calyx and Nova until dinner at the upscale, imperial-style restaurant Nova had reserved.
Nova was too stunned by the fact that they’d held hands.
Calyx, meanwhile, needed time to calm his racing heart after being startled by the horror scenes.
It wasn’t until they’d finished their meal and were walking through the darkened streets of Kahran that either of them finally spoke.
“Nova… is your hand okay?”
“I-It’s fine, my Lo—I mean, Kalts.”
Her hand had turned red from being held for nearly an hour.
Calyx noticed and felt guilty.
But Nova was honestly fine.
“I’m sorry. I got so scared, I just…”
“It’s really okay! Completely okay! So please don’t feel bad.”
“I… I see. Alright then.”
Calyx went quiet. Her insistence that it was “completely okay” left him with nothing else to say.
But still—he wondered.
‘Is she really fine? Or is she just saying that because I’m the Lord?’
He worried, just a little.
They walked in silence again for a while.
As they walked, Nova looked up at Calyx.
At first, it had been curiosity.
She’d approached him out of fascination with the incorruptible young lord who couldn’t be bribed.
Then it became respect.
She’d seen in him the ideal emperor of a fairytale—someone who would risk his life to save a child.
That’s why she’d thought…
‘If he became emperor, maybe people like my mother wouldn’t have to suffer anymore.’
And now… now, she was sure.
She looked up and asked—
“Kalts… What am I to you?”
Vwoom—
Nova activated her blessing.
It was a question she’d wanted to ask many, many times before…
But never could.
Because if Calyx appeared in black and white—
If he didn’t return her feelings—
She wasn’t sure she could handle it.
But now…
Now, she felt like she could ask.
Now, she thought she might see the answer she wanted.
Calyx looked at her and replied.
“You’re someone dear to me… like family.”
As he spoke, his color didn’t fade.
In a world that had disappointed her again and again—Calyx looked at her in warm, vibrant color, as if to comfort her.
But then he added—
“Lana, Sharon, and Azelle are precious to me, too.”
‘Did you seriously just name-drop other women… right now?!’
Even as he said that, his color didn’t waver.
Nova felt a little deflated… but still, she smiled.
“They’re all too good for someone like me.”
It was a strange relationship.
Around Calyx were all kinds of people.
People who, in another life, could have easily been enemies.
Yet Calyx welcomed them all equally. Without prejudice.
And somehow… that ragtag group had become closer than any family.
She once believed relationships were meaningless.
That human connections couldn’t be trusted.
But in her colorless world, HE had appeared.
And so effortlessly, he gifted her a world filled with light.
That’s why she chose to serve him.
That’s why… she’d come to love him.
“I’ll be counting on you, Nova.”
It was like something out of a dream.
Bathed in moonlight, the Lord beside her looked just like a prince from a fairytale.
She wasn’t a princess, but… she still wanted to be by his side.
“Yes, please keep trusting me. My Lord, I have a very good eye, you know.”
Truthfully, Nova had wanted to kiss him. Just like in the romance novels.
But she stopped herself.
Anything more would feel greedy.
Today had already been more than enough.
Or so she thought, until—
“…You’re seriously killing me here.”
Whizz—!
Out of nowhere, a rock flew and struck the heel of Nova’s shoe.
“Eek!”
“Nova!”
As she lost her balance, Calyx caught her.
He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.
And just like that, Nova ended up in Calyx’s arms.
“M-My Lord…”
“Nova…”
Their faces were inches apart.
It was the perfect setup… for a kiss.
Nova, cheeks burning red, instinctively closed her eyes.
Calyx knew.
To pull away now would be cowardly—an insult, even.
After confirming no one else was around, Calyx leaned in.
And—
Smooch.
That night, for the first time ever…
Calyx kissed a woman of his own accord.
From the shadows, Lana and Azelle exchanged a stealthy high-five.
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HELIO SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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