Noah sensed a hint of regret amidst Viviana's joy, but she didn't think much of it, assuming Viviana still had her own thoughts. She still vividly remembered what Viviana had told her when they first met. Her reason for wanting to become a Knight wasn't for fame or profit; if anything, she had read Knight novels and yearned to be a true Knight.
What she was doing now was essentially trying to get closer to her ideal by becoming a Knight herself.
Oh, and she was also a fan of Margaret…
However, the Knight competition she participated in was the one after Margaret had been expelled, so the two never met on the field. The champion of that competition was the Blood Knight.
Noah had heard that this young Knight had been abandoned by her original investors but still chose to participate as an independent Knight. It was well known that independent Knights were extremely rare in the entire Knight competition; Margaret herself had won the championship as an independent Knight. Moreover, Noah had happened to watch her competition and, upon realizing her Stone source art was exceptionally good, decided to invest.
The Noah of that time was a venture capitalist fanatic, and her returns were astonishingly high. The Candle Knight's San Hua Knight Order today was entirely funded and established by Noah. The two talked a lot on the day they signed the contract. When Noah mentioned Margaret, Viviana's attitude, which had initially been perfunctory, became much livelier. Later, they became friends by discussing the Shining Knight, and Viviana also learned that Noah was actually a close friend of Margaret, which increased her trust in Noah's character.
From then on, Noah not only felt that Viviana was a promising talent, but also thought—anyone so drawn to Margaret couldn't be a bad person.
And indeed, through their subsequent interactions, they gradually became close friends. Now, they could go to the opera together and even share poetry collections.
"Speaking of which… 'Thunderstorm'? What kind of opera is this? I haven't seen a script like it."
"It seems to be adapted from a play… I'm not entirely sure. The troupe is from Great Yan, and it's a touring performance. They say the reviews are quite good…" Noah answered honestly. "I didn't pay much attention to the specifics at the time; I just thought it sounded interesting and bought tickets."
"I see, so you bought them to see it with me?"
"Yes," Noah said quite frankly. "How could I possibly go to the opera alone?"
"…Ah." Viviana then realized her words were problematic and looked at Noah uneasily. Seeing that the other person wasn't angry, she spoke. "What I mean is, I'm glad you bought tickets just to go out with me…"
"Ah? Oh… I don't mind." Noah hadn't actually realized that point either. "Rather, you don't need to explain; it's fine. We don't need that between us."
"Mm." Viviana's mood brightened again. Noah smiled. With this ability to perceive emotions, she was clearly more attentive and could notice when the other person was upset. She could get along with almost anyone. Thinking about it, her ability was, in a sense, a kind of cheat, wasn't it?
The two chatted for a while, and occasionally Noah would pull Kuro into the conversation, but Kuro was always a quiet person, so after several attempts, Noah gave up. They only reluctantly stopped talking when the performance began.
However, this silence lasted until the very end of the play—
How to put it… Viviana and Noah were both deeply moved. Of course, it wasn't that the opera was bad; on the contrary, the character portrayal was excellent, the performance was superb, the sound effects were very well done, and it probably even utilized some advanced mechanisms. The actors' performances were also excellent.
But… it was just… the relationships were simply too complicated.
The performance depicted the grudges and affections between two families from Great Yan. It involved many characters, all excellently portrayed, and the overall story had a profound meaning. The plot development was refined, and adapting it into an opera did not diminish the emotional expression. It was understandable why it received so many positive reviews.
It was just that the character relationships were so complex that Viviana found it difficult to summarize them in words—it was simply too mentally taxing.
After the opera concluded, Viviana looked at Noah with an embarrassed expression. "Sorry, I don't know how to explain it clearly… but it was pretty good."
"Just listening to the dialogue was already mind-blowing… It's not your fault." Noah completely understood why Viviana couldn't explain it clearly, as those lines belonged to the mind-blowing category of mind-blowing.
Perhaps their brains were overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information in the opera, as the two didn't say much after leaving the theater. Noah also felt that Viviana's emotions were a bit muddled, so she suggested finding a place to rest. After Viviana agreed, Noah booked a private room at their usual cafe. Once inside the room, Viviana finally relaxed and then spoke.
"It was certainly unforgettable. I can understand why it received so many good reviews."
"Yes, I've rarely seen such a complex opera—and I've always believed that tragedies are always the most memorable," Noah said with a smile. "As a tragedy lover, I'm completely satisfied."
"The dialogue was also incredibly extensive; it's amazing those actors could remember it all," Viviana said with a sip of coffee, smiling. "It's excellent even as an opera, making me look forward to the original play version."
"Me too," Noah agreed with Viviana's point. "I want to see the story of 'Thunderstorm' in its play version."
"Hmm…" Viviana first nodded. "But I can certainly understand the feeling of someone who doesn't want to repeat the past…"
"Hmm?"
"Have I ever told you about my family?" Viviana asked. "Or rather, about things before I came to Kazimierz."
"Yes, you have. You said you used to read Knight novels by candlelight in a high tower?" Noah nodded with a smile. "I even called you the princess in the high tower."
"Before coming to Kazimierz, my entire world was the attic of that high tower. I would read books, occasionally looking down from the window…" Viviana said, observing Noah's expression. "I think you, Noah, should be able to understand what that feeling is like, right?"
"Hmm…perhaps," Noah didn't respond directly. "But you don't find it boring, do you?"
"Not really. I'm also curious about what the outside world is like, but now that I'm actually out, I'm a bit…at a loss for what to do."
Viviana gave a wry smile. She had spent most of her life on a ferry, and only when she finally had the chance to disembark did she realize that the outside wasn't as wonderful as she had imagined.
Compared to that small attic, the outside world was indeed vast…but it was precisely *too* vast, leaving Viviana feeling somewhat overwhelmed…
But everything had changed. She couldn't go back to that small attic; she was forced into this world. From being a princess in a high tower to descending from it, she had no choice.
However, it was good…at least she had a friend by her side who made her feel that coming down from the tower was a good thing.
She looked at Noah, her expression gentle, like a drowning person in the ocean seeing a ship approaching her.
Noah felt a warm yet bittersweet emotional fluctuation…She was somewhat unfamiliar yet also familiar with this emotional surge, but she didn't voice this feeling. She simply said:
"But I'm glad you came down from the tower, my princess."