Nikako
...So that's how it was-my classmates praised me for playing the Blue Haired Duke!

Nikako
I was already happy just that they came to see it, but to be praised like that...I felt really honoured!

Iruru
That so, that so. Heh heh, that's great.

Iruru
But that's all thanks to your hard work, right? I think your daily rehearsal efforts paid off.

Nikako
Do you think so...? When you say it like that, I get all embarrassed...!

Iruru
Actually, your acting while playing the Blue Haired Duke was really good.

Iruru
The Blue Haired Duke isn't just a villain...due to his selfish love, he causes his wives' deaths, and ultimately meets his own end...

Iruru
It's something you can sort of understand, but to actually internalise it as an actor-I genuinely think that's amazing.

Iruru
I stood as a previous wife's ghost before Nikako's Blue Haired Duke and Shigure's Elmeria, and Nikako embodied exactly what I'd imagined the Blue Haired Duke to be.

Nikako
R-Really...!? The reviews were good, so I kind of thought it went okay~...

Nikako
But hearing it from someone who stood on the same stage as me is different. It's so convincing...and it really boosts my confidence!

Iruru
What are you saying now? Didn't you get all kinds of feedback after the performance ended?

Nikako
Well, yes...! But I think the reality of it all just sank in as time passed...!

Iruru
I sort of understand that feeling though. Right after a performance ends, you're so burned out that you can't really think about much else.

Nikako
Exactly! I was just soaking in that sense of accomplishment-we did it~! And this time especially, with the Prometheus Award and all!

Iruru
And Shigure's situation too...I guess. In that sense, we all got through a lot of pressure, huh?

Nikako
Yeah...during rehearsals, I was so focused on the character work, but I actually managed to become the Blue Haired Duke...

Iruru
That was way more than passing-it was a perfect score. Nikako's Blue Haired Duke. ...Even being a villain, there was real coolness to it.

Iruru
I was really surprised. I didn't know you could pull off a role like that.

Nikako
Hmm...my classmates said the same thing. "It's so rare to see Toneri-san play a villain", they said...

Nikako
I mean, I hadn't really done that type of role much before...

Nikako
But I practiced just as hard and desperately as I do with any other role, and before I knew it, I could play it...

Nikako
And during rehearsals, because it was a role I don't usually do, it felt fresh and fun, and I got completely absorbed in it!

Nikako
So when everyone asked, "Wasn't it tough?" I felt kind of...like it didn't quite fit.

Nikako
I'm really happy they were worried about me, but...I just thought, "Huh? I was totally fine with it."

Iruru
(Maybe because she's so innocent, she absorbs roles easily and they stick...what a terrifying actor this one is.)

Iruru
Playing an unfamiliar role and saying things that casual about it...you're reliable, aren't you?

Nikako
N-No, I wouldn't say I have that much composure...!?

Iruru
Sorry, sorry, I was just joking. But seriously, your growth has been remarkable. I genuinely respect it.

Nikako
R-Really? Ehehehe...

Nikako
...Okay! Since everyone's praised me like this, I'm going to work my hardest so I can play all kinds of different roles from now on!

Iruru
Yeah, that's the spirit. I've got to polish my acting too, so I don't fall behind.

Nikako
Let's work hard together, Iruru-san! So we can make Eden shine going forward!

Iruru
Yeah...we've got dreams to fulfil, after all.

Nikako
(We got the Prometheus Award, Shigure-chan gets to keep acting, and our next goal is probably the traveling theatre...!)

Nikako
(I'm sure there are still lots of difficult things ahead...but I feel like...we can do it...!)