Chapter 661: The Power of Saccharin

With the exit of a certain disruptive fool, carrying a fortune beyond measure, the male and female leads finally fulfilled their pact—The Twelve Days of Travel had, albeit stumblingly, closed its first act.

Following the theatrical principle of "one act, one intermission," the three thousand audience members were briefly "released" before the second act began, but before they could regain their senses, every scene of the first act began to flash rapidly before everyone's eyes.

"Only twelve days remain… After twelve days, I will no longer be a free self, but a caged bird soaring in an unfamiliar prison…"

"That's Agatha, the barmaid at the docks, the dream of every man in Ankara…"

"Mr. Elijah, if you wish to tour Ankara, you'll need a local guide."

"…"

Until the male and female leads' conversation in the tavern, The Twelve Days of Travel still followed its original plot—but then, a flamboyantly dressed "peacock man" barged uninvited into everyone's view, causing The Twelve Days of Travel's tone to shift abruptly!

"That's not right. If you truly love a rose, let her bloom in the garden."

"If I can make my rose smile, even if everyone mocks me, it's worth it."

"My grandmother has been very ill lately; she hopes I'll marry soon…"

"Young Master Joseph… your grandmother… beat my buttocks until they swelled…"

As "Mr. Joseph" pulled off one unexpected move after another, the souls of the three thousand audience members began to tremble slightly; much of the willpower once fixed on the stage center was now dyed a vivid, bright yellow—the same hue as the yellow hair atop "Mr. Joseph."

…

Twenty-five percent… had it shifted that much all at once?

Watching the three thousand unconscious audience members in the theater, feeling the genuine emotional feedback their souls had given the drama world after witnessing the first act of The Twelve Days of Travel, "Master Wilde" on stage drew a sharp breath—something was slipping from his control.

Though he was the creator of the drama world, the true foundation sustaining that illusory, beautiful realm was not his own power alone, but the souls of over three thousand people in the Central Cross Theater who loved theater.

And that damned "Mr. Joseph" had first ruined the authentic tavern encounter, then stolen vast amounts of "stage time" from the male and female leads, forcibly seizing the attention of the three thousand audience members.

Crucially, as the true foundation of the drama world, the "inclinations" of these three thousand audience members' souls represented control over The Twelve Days of Travel.

Since twenty-five percent now identified with "Mr. Joseph" and began anticipating his next actions, it meant that the one who once held one hundred percent control now possessed only seventy-five percent—this damned "Mr. Joseph" had already seized a substantial portion of his drama world!

Sensing disaster, the 【King of Drama】 immediately plunged his consciousness into the drama world, preparing to tightly guard against "Mr. Joseph."

First, he must prevent him from further disturbing the male and female leads' growing affection.

As a relatively traditional romantic comedy, his own The Twelve Days of Travel followed the classic four-act structure: Act One introduces the setting and the meeting; Act Two develops the romance; Act Three brings the darkest moment of obstacles; Act Four concludes with a climactic resolution.

In the drama world of The Twelve Days of Travel, that meant: Act One—The Tavern Encounter; Act Two—The Tour of the Small Town; Act Three—Love and Freedom, where Agatha is captured and the male lead must choose between his beloved's safety and his own future happiness; Act Four—The Wedding of the Caged Bird, where he discovers his beloved is his betrothed, ending in universal joy.

The first act, The Tavern Encounter, had already been ruined by "Mr. Joseph." If he stole the spotlight in the next act, The Tour of the Small Town, and Elijah's feelings for Agatha never reached the point of forsaking freedom for her, then the turning point, Love and Freedom, would become Love and the Yellow Hair!

No! This absolutely cannot happen!

…

Amid the 【King of Drama】's furious backstage manipulation and "Mr. Joseph"'s chaotic antics, the second act of The Twelve Days of Travel—The Tour of the Small Town—spiraled wildly out of control!

"Mr. Elijah, if you want to see Ankara's most beautiful scenery, it's surely the beach at night, and the bonfires lit upon it…"

"Ladies and gentlemen, today's beach has been rented out entirely by the richest man, Mr. Joseph, who plans to stage an unprecedented grand fireworks display for his beloved Miss Agatha!"

"Hello again~"

"…"

"Mr. Elijah, besides the bonfire… no, besides the beach, there's also the old seaside amusement park, with its dances…"

"Ladies and gentlemen! The seaside amusement park has been rented out by Mr. Joseph, who plans to host a wildly joyful masquerade ball for his beloved Miss Agatha!"

"Hello again~"

"What about… the former residence of the great painter Amien…?"

"Ladies and gentlemen… rented out by Mr. Joseph… who will personally serve as the guide!"

"Hello again~"

"…"

"Or Green Snail Mountain isn't bad either—there…"

"Ladies and gentlemen… rented out…"

"Hello again~"

"…"

Watching the small town now nearly transformed into "Joseph Manor," the 【King of Drama】, who had personally provided Leon with the tools for this crime, could no longer hold himself together.

Damn it! So wherever they go, you rent it out? Can't you do anything besides just throwing money around?

Yes.

"Love is like a person in an old photograph—it eventually fades."

After photographing everyone at the ball except Agatha, "Mr. Joseph" placed the portrait he himself had commissioned—of Agatha—beside his own image in the photo, gazing at it with deep tenderness:

"Only you remain eternally beautiful, accompanying me until my final breath."

"…"

"Why must you insist on clinging to me? There are far better people out there."

"I'm not clinging to you—I'm clinging to my love."

After seriously correcting Agatha's mistake, Leon frowned and asked:

"As for better people—if you don't exist, what's so good about them?"

"…"

"Before I met you, I never thought of marrying."

"I…"

"I never expected you to love me, never imagined you had reason to love me, never believed I could earn your affection. For me, simply having the chance to love you is already more than enough."

"You…"

"The moment you appeared, my life found its answer… it was you."

"…"

Damn it! This is the male and female leads' first meeting! What the hell are you doing?!

Watching Leon in the drama world, spending money to rent every location, holding Agatha's hand, gazing into her eyes, bombarding her with romantic lines until her heart wavered—

And watching Elijah beside him, who always brought Agatha over, then stood awkwardly aside with the "Mr. Joseph"-provided museum ticket, squirming in embarrassment, looking like a mere extra—

The 【King of Drama】's eyes nearly bled. He felt like a chef who'd prepared a royal banquet dish, only to find someone had dumped saccharin into it—he wanted to immediately coat Leon in batter and fry him in oil alongside the sliced potato sticks.

And when the second act ended and this dish was served to the three thousand "diners," receiving an absurdly high approval rating nearing sixty percent, the 【King of Drama】 was beyond rage—his inherited theatrical principles, passed down from generations of drama masters, were shattered by Leon's "tycoon-love-at-your-feet" tactic.

How the hell is this even possible?!?!

(End of Chapter)