Chapter 665: Original! So That

「Huh?

After hearing Leon's surprised question, Agatha in his arms trembled slightly, then buried her head even deeper into his chest, her ears flushed red as she whispered shyly:

「Darling?

「…」

I didn't ask that to get you to change your term of address—I want to know why you called me by my real name!

Just as Leon, stunned and bewildered by Agatha's—or the Princess's—response, stood frozen, unsure whether to let go or keep playing along, the two thousand-plus "fans" bubbles above the drama world erupted in ecstatic screams, overwhelmed by the sudden sweetness of this couple.

「I… I can't take it! Aaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!

「So sweet! This sugar level is cheating! I'm gonna die of sweetness!

「Get married! Get married! Don't wait till tomorrow—marry right now!

「I'm so sweet I'm gonna twist! I'm twisting wildly! I'm gonna roll on the floor!

「She just switched to 'darling'… I… I can't take it!

It's… over… everything's over…

Watching the pink bubbles above the drama world surge like a tidal wave, the Drama Master on the real-world stage suddenly went weak at the knees and collapsed onto the floor with a thud, his tired eyes filled with gray despair.

I'm… I'm the Drama Master… I'm the one who created this script!

And what the hell, you audience—do you even have any sense of dramatic aesthetics?

This play's been ruined beyond recognition, with zero setup beforehand, and now you've got a sudden elopement—don't you find it jarring? And the heroine's mother? She's supposed to be a loving but strict elder—yet after one question, she just hands over her daughter? Don't you find that awkward?

And most importantly, where's Elijah? He was mid-passionate confession just now, yet he hasn't spoken a word since—like he's not even the one whose fiancée was stolen—just standing there on stage with the groom's relatives, watching silently. Don't you find Elijah's performance… wait, no!

Elijah was the male lead I designed! Mr. Joseph is only the second male lead! No—not even that! He's just a supporting character! He exists solely to highlight the protagonist's bravery and wisdom, and he was supposed to vanish after Act One, Scene One's tavern scene!

Realizing his perception had been warped—even his understanding of the male lead had been twisted—【The Drama King】 trembled as he raised his arm toward the script of The Twelve Days Together on his sleeve.

Under his despairing gaze, The Twelve Days Together slowly opened. The name once written as the male lead—Elijah—had vanished completely, replaced by a name that made him grind his teeth.

【Male Lead: Mr. Joseph】

【Background: On the surface, a playboy from the small town of Ankara, fond of wandering about in flamboyant, bizarre attire; in secret, he is the owner of the kingdom's largest merchant guild and the heir to a noble family.】

【His frivolous, comical exterior is merely a disguise for his true self—only after the heroine Agatha gets closer and gradually understands his painful, struggling inner world does she come to see his genuine, passionate nature…】

He struggles with a basket! He's got a basket's inner world! That bastard's got nothing but a sincere and passionate basket!

Seeing his script forcibly rewritten into something unrecognizable, 【The Drama King】 flew into a rage, cursed violently with no trace of a master's dignity, then spun dizzily and collapsed onto the floor with a thud.

At this critical moment, among the deranged pink bubbles above, one red bubble—the same one that had repeatedly steered the crowd's momentum at key moments—stepped forward again, waddling on its tiny legs to the highest point and raising its arms to shout:

「Sisters! Is Mr. Joseph hot? 「Hot!

「Is the new plot good?

「Good!!

「Compared to Master Wilde's original, isn't the new version better?

「Yes!!!

If you had to choose between Master Wilde and Mr. Joseph, you'd pick Mr. Joseph, right?

「Yes!!!!!!

「Then it's settled!

Standing atop the platform built by the crowd of bubbles, looking down at the sea of supporters—and the few dissenters, now captured and silenced due to their minority status—the bright red bubble sneered, then tilted its head back and howled triumphantly:

「Come on, let's overthrow that useless Master Wilde! From now on, the most handsome Mr. Joseph shall rule the drama world… uh…」

Seeing 【The Drama King】 glaring down at him, face flushed with fury, the red bubble shuddered violently, then tumbled off the platform in a panic, instinctively trying to dive into the crowd of bubbles.

Though all the thought-bubbles looked nearly identical, most were pale pink—except this one, the leader of Joseph's fanbase, which was utterly, unmistakably red. So even though it slipped into the crowd, the next second 【The Drama King】 reached out and snatched it out.

As it entered 【The Drama King】's palm, the red bubble twisted slightly, then began swelling uncontrollably, gradually revealing its true form…

A goat's head, grinning sheepishly?

【The Drama King】: 「…」(lol)

Black Goat: 「…」(*▽*)

Seeing the roasted goat head that had been carried off by "Mr. Joseph," then vanished without a trace, 【The Drama King】 trembled with rage.

So that's why you kept popping up at critical moments to steer everyone the other way—you're a goddamn plant!!!

「Umm… Master, we can explain…」

Feeling the soul-deep fury radiating from 【The Drama King】—enough to roast him into dried goat jerky—the Black Goat swallowed hard and grinned nervously:

「Look… we didn't want to do this, but Leon—that bastard playing Mr. Joseph—he insisted that official intervention to guide fan discourse and public opinion is a basic community management requirement for any new drama release.

「I… I didn't get what he meant, but I'm just a poor devil working for him, never get any souls to harvest, and all I live for is him paying for cigarettes so I can smoke a few to ease the craving… so… I just do whatever he says.

「Hehe… so I'm not targeting you, Master—I've watched your plays too. That one about the sculptor's wife who strayed? Totally awesome! Got me all fired up! I'm your fan! Can't you just treat me like a fart and let me go…」

「Help! Leon! Help! Someone's killing a goat!!!

(End of Chapter)