RYL Chapter 56

Chapter 56

I was startled and looked around.
Maybe it was just my imagination.
But when I glanced again while playing, Mathieu was definitely staring at me.
In fact, when our eyes met, I instinctively turned my head away.
Why was he looking at me, not the female lead?
The Crown Prince was the same.
He was smiling at me, looking directly at me, and I felt like I wanted to hit my forehead.
Why wasn’t he looking at the female lead, the one right in front of him?
I was completely confused.

Before I could process my thoughts, Edith’s song reached the highlight of the chorus.
“Let go of everything and be free like a bird!”
Edith’s voice rang out towards the audience with bright energy, and the band joined in with the chorus.
The sound of their stomping feet and singing filled the air as Edith joyfully looked at me and shouted,
“Violin! Guitar!”
With her excitement, I couldn’t help but smile and stood up.
I exchanged a look with Samuel, and we smoothly continued the music together.
I noticed some of the audience, who had already heard the song, were enjoying it and cheering.
And once again, my eyes met Mathieu’s.
His unwavering gaze was fixed on me, making me try even harder to ignore him and focus on the music.
Why wasn’t he noticing the female lead, who was right in front of him?

As the song continued, Edith’s voice was filled with power and joy.
“I was the woman who played in your hands, but now my star shines brighter than your sun.”
I realized that the lyrics of the second verse felt like they were about Mathieu and me.
How could a simple pop song feel so immersive?
“I’m going to fly higher, to a place you can’t reach.”
I kept playing, completely lost in the music, feeling like the lyrics were giving us the strength to keep going.
The audience was also caught up in the energy, with awkward expressions from earlier now replaced by wide smiles as they clapped and waved to the beat.

And then the highlight of the chorus came again.
“This is my farewell kiss!
You’ll be left behind, watching as I soar!”
Edith’s voice burst out as she moved across the stage, her fists clenched with passion.
It wasn’t just singing; it was like an explosion of energy.
The band members, feeling the same excitement, stood up and played with all their might.
“This is my greeting!
Because I won’t hide from you anymore!”
Edith sang, her energy contagious as she moved closer to me, singing beside me.
Caught in her enthusiasm, I played along, smiling without realizing it.
But then I felt Mathieu’s gaze on me again, so intense it sent chills down my spine.
I decided to ignore it and poured even more passion into my performance.

Soon, the chorus came again.
“Let go of everything and be free, like a bird!”
The lyrics felt like a declaration to Mathieu, and I felt a sense of relief.
The band members joined in with a lively chorus,
and Sabrina, with one hand on the drums, raised her other hand to signal the audience to join in.
The crowd responded, some hesitating at first, but soon the younger ones were dancing and singing along.
Edith sang with all her might,
“Like a bird!”
The audience and band came together to harmonize, and Edith finished with a powerful final line,
“Freely!”
At the same time, I struck the final chord on my guitar.
When the performance ended, the audience erupted into applause and cheers.
Edith, shining like the sun, was beaming with happiness after the song.
Who wouldn’t fall for a female lead like her?
Everyone in the audience was focused on her, but Mathieu wasn’t.
His gaze was still fixed on me, and I felt a chill down my spine.
Something definitely felt off.

***

Backstage, lost in thought, I heard that Mathieu and Mikael were looking for me.
Ah, if I show up right in front of them, things will be different!
With that thought, I grabbed Edith’s hand and stepped out from behind the curtain.
As expected, Mathieu and Mikael were waiting for me.

“Nemesis!”
Since I was wearing a mask, Mikael didn’t call me by my real name, but instead, used a strange nickname.
“Nemesis?”
I asked, confused, and Mikael grinned.
“People say you look like the goddess of vengeance, Nemesis, when you play the guitar.”
Better than being compared to the god of death, Hades, I guess…

“I need to talk to you first.”
Mathieu stepped in front of Mikael, and only then did I remember Edith.
I pulled her towards me.
“Oh! This is the singer for today…”
As I hesitated, unsure whether to mention her name, Mikael interrupted with a smile.
“Ah, you mean Siren.”
“Siren?”
“That’s what people are calling her.”
She already had a nickname?
I looked at Mathieu and Mikael, hoping they would notice something about Edith.
But to my disappointment, they quickly lost interest in her and focused back on me.
This isn’t what I expected…

Maybe it was because her face was hidden by the mask?
I decided to act like it was a mistake and quickly took off Edith’s mask, pretending to accidentally knock it off.
Her delicate and beautiful features were now visible.
“Oh no! I’m so sorry!”

I pretended to be surprised and bent down to pick up the mask.
Edith, completely unaware that I was doing it on purpose, smiled brightly and replied,
“It’s okay. No one recognizes my face anyway.”

As I picked up her mask, I glanced at Mathieu and Mikael.
How is it? Did they fall for her at first sight?
Isn’t she totally their type?
After all, she’s the main character who will make them fall head over heels for her!

But to my surprise, they weren’t looking at Edith, who had taken off her mask. They were staring at me, still crouching down to pick up the mask.
Huh… this isn’t how it’s supposed to be…

Noticing their lack of attention to Edith, I hesitated, holding the mask in my hand and trying to make it obvious.
Finally, Mathieu spoke up, unable to hold back any longer.
“How long are you going to stay crouched there?”

Mikael went a step further, gently helping me up, his face full of concern.
“Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?”

“No…”

Before I knew it, Edith had approached with a worried expression on her face, also checking on me.
“Did you overdo it on stage? Are you okay?”

Here I was, caught in the middle of the attention of the main male lead, the supporting male lead, and the female lead. I was dumbfounded.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go…

Just then, from behind the curtains, I saw Lilianne and Sabrina, who were clicking their tongues in disapproval.
Seeing my confused expression, they quickly stepped back and disappeared behind the curtains.

Staring at them as they left me, I felt betrayed and a shiver ran through me.