"Why aren't Mr. Hades and his family back yet?"
Eiffie stood at the door and looked at the closed Saipan Tavern with a worried expression.
The panicky atmosphere of the war was slowly spreading throughout Rodu in the past few days. Be it the army confiscating the peach trees and glutinous rice, or the rumors spreading in the neighborhood, they all indicated that something big was going to happen.
The situation was so messy and yet Mr. Hades and his family were still missing. This made Eiffie concerned.
"Master and his family are still not back yet?" Mala walked out from behind Eiffie and looked at the tavern opposite them. Then, she looked at the other side again.
Eiffie knew what Mala was thinking, and smilingly said, "It's open. Go in if you want to watch a free show."
"That's not a show. It's an opera!" Mala emphasized.
"Isn't an opera a show."
"It's not the same. Opera is a singing performance and in a show you don't sing." Mala shook her head before hugging Eiffie's arm with a smile. "Miss, why don't you go watch the opera with me? 'Miss Black Cat' is a fantastic opera and they just started yesterday. The tickets are only half priced."
"No." Eiffie rejected her.
She was simply uninterested in all this stuff. Asking her to sit still there for a few hours was worse than killing her.
Eiffie looked at Mala and asked, "Oh yes, you said Mr. Hades let them move into that building. Apart from that, did he tell you anything else? Such as how much they owe in rent?"
The opera troupe came quickly and they moved even faster.
In two to three days, they cleaned the building up. They had even hung up the signboard yesterday and tried to start operating.
She went to take a quick look yesterday. The stuff inside were mostly the old items left behind by the circus back then.
After cleaning up, they repainted the stage, so the opera actually looked quite good.
She wasn't interested in it, but Mala loved it. In the past two days, she kept going to the theater whenever she was free. She kept recommending it to people whenever she met someone. She was very into it.
The tickets were not expensive. It was only 50 copper coins for one ticket, and half price for children. There was even a half price promotion in the few days of their opening.
Mr. Hades had over 100 commercial properties and this was the first one to be rented out.
Therefore, many neighbors went to check them out. They all wanted to know how this opera house obtained special treatment from Mr. Hades.
After the performance, the neighbors heaped praises on it. They had been talking about the story of 'Miss Black Cat' for the past two days.
A few middle-aged women would even tear up when they talked about the touching parts. They were engrossed in the show.
"No. Master only wanted me to pass the key and a letter to Maestro Vicki. I have read the letter. Master lent that building to them as the performance venue. He didn't ask for a rental fee." Mala shook her head.
"He didn't ask for a rental fee?" Eiffie was slightly taken aback.
The commercial building that the opera house occupied was huge. Its size was comparable to a few normal commercial buildings.
Although the layout was a little weird, given the Romo Street's rising property prices and rental, he could still earn hundreds of thousands of rental annually just by changing the layout.
However, Mr. Hades simply lent it to the opera troupe free of charge.
"Perhaps, Mr. Hades and Miss Vicki are friends? Or are there other reasons?" Eiffie thought.
Mala let go of Eiffie's arm and said, "Then, I'll go over by myself, Miss. I have arranged with the maestro. She can give me a maid's role."
"You're going to be an actor?" Eiffie looked at Mala judgingly.
"I-I'm just acting a small part." Mala blushed.
"Go ahead. Remember to come back to cook dinner tonight." Eiffie waved her hand.
"Yes!" Mala smiled and skipped towards the theater.
Eiffie smiled with exasperation as she watched Mala's back. "This girl wants to learn everything."
Mala ran into the theater. She had gotten familiar with everyone in the theater in the past few days. She greeted all the actors with familiarity before sitting on a seat at the side and watched the actors rehearse with her chin propped on her hands.
The actors in the Black Cat Opera troupe were already used to this little one coming over to watch them everyday. The majority of them also did that too before they became part of the troupe.
They could see the love in Mala's eyes. To become an opera actor, such emotions were very important.
Moreover, the maestro seemed to like this maiden, so nobody said anything.
Vicki came from backstage and said to Mala in the seating area, "Mala, you're here."
Mala quickly stood up and nodded. "Yes. I came to watch all of you rehearse."
Vicki went over, looked into Mala'e eyes and asked, "Do you really want to learn how to sing opera?"
Although the maestro wasn't tall, Mala still felt stressed when she stared at her. After thinking about it seriously, she nodded. "Yes. I want to learn how to sing opera."
"Learning how to sing opera is very tough. You can't become a good actor without putting in three to five years of time," Vicki said calmly, "They have learnt opera for almost two years and they are still novices. There's a long road ahead of you."
"They only just started to sing opera?"
Mala was shocked. She felt these big brothers and big sisters were great, but in the maestro's eyes, they were just novices.
She suddenly wanted to beat a retreat after she thought about her hoarse voice.
"Don't be afraid, Little Mala. I was even selling desserts on the streets back then." A bald mister looked at Mala and chuckled. "Perseverance prevails! Hang in there!"
Mala was encouraged by that mister and her gaze became convinced. She said to Vicki, "I can do it!"
Vicki nodded and continued speaking, "You will have to eat and live in the troupe after you join us. I will personally teach you how to become an opera singer."
"Huh?"
Mala was shocked. Then, she quickly shook her head, "No. I mean… I want to learn how to sing opera, but I cannot join the troupe. I still have a Miss at home to support."
Vicki frowned and looked at Mala with sharp eyes. "So, you want a free ride?"
Mala felt the maestro's aura became very terrifying suddenly and she became infinitely small.
However, she really couldn't just sell herself away like that…
Because she belonged to Miss, even she couldn't sell herself away.
Moreover, she had promised Master to learn to cook from him. If she had to eat and live at the opera house and practice and rehearse opera every day, where would she find the time to learn to cook?
"C-can I come here to learn every afternoon…" Mala shrugged and asked probingly.
She could only be an amatuer opera actor. Even playing a bit role was fine…
Mala wanted to feel that sensation of being on stage and being looked at by everyone.
She was embarrassed just to think about it, yet it felt so exciting.
Vicki stared at Mala with a frown. After a moment of silence, she said, "Come with me."
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