Ella returned to the hotel, and by the ti she had completed all the day's schedule, it was past midnight.
Now, it was Sunday.
Today was, without a doubt, the busiest day. Well at least it aint Monday, right?
In the morning, she had to go to the cabaret to set up the equipnt necessary for the performance. While the cabaret's staff would assist, she needed to personally oversee and adjust the finer details, such as the placent of lights and props. Small changes could make a significant difference in the performance.
Fortunately, it didn't take much ti to consider everything. Over the past two weeks, she hadn't just visited the cabaret for the sake of watching. She had examined the shape of the hall and the structure of the stage, constantly pondering, "How would we do it?" Sotis, she gained ideas from performances of other teams.
All her ideas were recorded and organized in her notebook, and she had finished the preparations for the stage by the morning.
The crucial factor was the perforrs.
They needed to beco accustod to the atmosphere of the theater. It was different from the ti when a few actions behind iron bars and growls would suffice.
Rehearsals were essential.
No matter how well the script was chosen and practiced, if things didn't align on the stage, it could all go wrong.
It was necessary to act on a real stage, as in an actual performance.
Fortunately, the cabaret staff were cooperative with the contestants. Whenever she requested, they were willing to play the role of the audience.
Ella leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.
She needed to sleep by now for the sake of tomorrow. However, her heart wasn't calming down. Even sitting still, the pounding of her heart echoed in her ears.
Perhaps she had consud too much coffee during the day.
Her body felt like a soaked sponge, constantly sagging, but her mind was clear.
It felt as if soone was forcibly lifting her eyelids.
She needed to sleep…
So that she could move tomorrow…
At that mont, a squirming sensation was felt inside her hat and pocket.
"Gugu gugu…"
"Chik chik…"
Two creatures, a pigeon and a mouse, both seed to be restless. They were nocturnal animals, well-tad to sleep according to their owner's pattern, but lately, as she stayed awake until dawn, they too couldn't sleep properly.
They had slept throughout the afternoon and were now awake.
"Shall we go for a walk outside? Get so fresh air, co back, and maybe take a warm shower. That might help you sleep."
"Groo. Gururu!"
"Jjijit! Jjijit!"
At the ntion of a walk, the creatures beca excited. Ella finished her tasks, put on her coat, and stood up.
Before leaving the room, she glanced at herself in the mirror.
A pale girl, as if she had seen sothing terrifying, was staring back at her.
Was she really this pale?
Even Maya's seemingly indifferent remark, everyone's worries, including the stagehands, seed genuine.
"Assistant Ringmaster! You look tired!"
"Right! You should take a break!"
"Let's stop the lessons!"
Of course, to her, those sounded like empty words.
Except for one person.
"Ella, if you need help, feel free to ask."
The smiling face of Wonderstein ca to her mind.
Empty words.
If she were to lie down because she was unwell, there would be no one to do the work.
His words were contradictory.
However, she knew she was lying.
She needed help.
A lot of it.
But she didn't want it.
She had to endure.
She had to run even harder.
"We shouldn't have fun together."
She had to suffer even more.
The reason she worked hard for the competition was his promise, "I'll set you free in two and a half years."
Not because she wished for it but because she had no choice but to do
When that person praised her, was she happy?
When that person acknowledged her, was she proud?
In the hopes of remaining as soone I would continue to hate and resent.
In the joy that feels like committing a cri against dead friends.
She continued to torture herself.
However, the fact that she had such obsessions showed that her true feelings were the opposite.
"No."
Ella muttered, opening her eyes like that.
She realized she was sitting on a stone in the garden.
The flow from leaving the room to coming here was blurry.
She had moved in a daze.
After releasing the children to roam freely, she sat down and dozed off.
Ella looked around the garden.
The garden she had blown up like a bomb had regained its forr beauty.
Upon closer inspection, it seed even better than before.
"It's not allowed. The mbers could have been hurt. Ella could have died."
When she suggested making another bomb, he spoke, blocking her.
Like an adult.
With a tone sincerely concerned about her.
Nonsense.
It's fake.
Don't be fooled.
Ella checked the ti.
It had been a whopping 30 minutes.
It was ti to go back.
Ella stood up and stretched.
Her body shivered on the cold ground.
Stretching her hands above her head, the tense muscles and joints relaxed with a crackling sound.
At that mont.
"Ugh."
Her breath caught in her throat.
Her heart tightened.
A dizzying sensation of free fall pulled through her whole body.
"Haak…."
It felt like blood was draining from her head.
Her surroundings spun rapidly.
Oh.
Can't do this.
Can't sleep.
I have to prepare for the performance.
As her body relaxed, her vision darkened.
Thud.
Ella's body slumped forward.
She couldn't get up in the position she fell.
"Chirp chirp?"
"Squeak squeak!"
It took the two animals playing hide and seek in the garden 10 minutes to notice their owner's condition.
"Squeak?"
"Grrr!"
The pigeon pecked at its owner's ear, and the mouse tugged at her finger.
But she didn't move.
***
So far, how many tis have I proposed?
However, every ti she hears such words, she makes a disgusted expression and rejects .
Can't I just quickly take care of her while she's unconscious?
As I pondered this, voices from the room reached .
"She opened her eyes!"
"Assistant Ringmaster, are you okay?"
Yurakne and I entered the room together.
Ella was slowly opening her eyes and looking around at the mbers.
"Ugh, what… what ti is it… what ti?"
I opened the status window to check the ti.
"It's 5 AM."
The mbers, upon seeing , were startled and stepped back.
I moved through them and stood in front of the bed.
She looked up at and mumbled.
"I have to go… move my things first…"
"The luggage is being loaded by the rental n right now. Don't worry."
"And the stage setup…"
"Ella, don't you have notes? Other mbers can handle it."
"Rehearsal on-site… adjustnts…"
Ella, trying to get up.
I gently pushed her shoulders, urging her to lie down again.
At that mont, our eyes t.
Fear appeared in her eyes.
"No… I don't want to… don't do it… that's…"
"Ella."
"Please… don't do it…"
Ella murmured, then drifted back to sleep.
The worried voices of the mbers filled the room.
I looked at the quest window that appeared before my eyes.
[mber Quest – Raise a Child without Using Debulroots]
Ella does not want the Ringmaster's 'treatnt.'
Conditions for Completion:
Do not touch her until she recovers…*
I closed the quest window imdiately.
mber quests – they were a kind of wish fulfillnt system.
I had benefited greatly from it.
Thanks to it, I could understand what mbers wanted, and by fulfilling those desires, I could increase their favorability.
However, there was a flaw.
If they didn't have the intention to request sothing, it wouldn't react. And what they desired might not be in their best interest.
So when Ella collapsed unconscious, the quest did not respond.
However, what she wished for during her semi-conscious state was reflected in the quest.
"Ringmaster."
Yurakne held onto my hand tightly.
I nodded.
mber quests were just wishes.
I had relied on the power of the wish fulfilnt system too much.
It was my fault.
Even if I beca hated, there was no choice.
Right now, treating her was the priority.
I opened the Evolution Research Centre and placed my hand on her body.
And…
I stood there silently for a few seconds.
The mbers looked at with hopeful eyes, waiting for sothing.
I removed my hand.
"Ringmaster, is it… is it done?"
Yurakne whispered, looking at .
Ella still trembled, not regaining consciousness.
I shook my head.
"Wait for the doctor."
"Ringmaster?"
"I have a potion in my room that Anais gave . Let's try giving her that first."
"Ringmaster, wait a mont!"
I pushed away Yurakne's hand and left the room.
And I walked alone down the corridor.
Ella was a mysterious existence.
She was not a character that appeared in the original work.
I couldn't understand why Wonderstein wanted to take her.
I checked the notification that appeared in the status window again.
The ssage I received for the first ti since coming to this world.
[Diagnosis inconclusive. The target is immune to Debulroots.］
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