CHAPTER 051
“The theme of the first contest is…”
Baron Gabriel raised his well-groomed eyebrows dramatically, then spread his arms wide and shouted.
“Agritea, which can be said to be the cradle of continental culture and art.”
Like waves surging, the audience began to buzz all at once.
As Baron Gabriel said, Agritea was the root of the current culture of the major kingdoms of the continent, including the Helterd Empire.
Although it was a language that had disappeared along with the ancient tongue, unlike the ancient tongue, it still had a significant impact on the current arts, including poetry, novels, music, theater, and fashion.
Any noble lady who received a proper education would have naturally learned Agritea from a young age, but in society, they could only fumble with a few dozen words for the sake of appearances.
That was to be expected, as Agritea, unlike the modern languages used by the kingdoms of the continent including the Helterd Empire, had no system of rules or meaningful order of arrangement.
Even if it had syntactic rules like subject, object, and verb, there were no semantic rules, making it difficult to understand the meaning of sentences. For example, a sentence like “The flower poured the sea” had syntactic rules but conveyed no meaning.
Of course, it would have been an easy language for the Agriteans who flourished in continental culture a thousand years ago, but for the current continent's people, it was an unsolvable mystery.
Scholars struggled because Agritean words were very similar to modern languages, even if they gave up on ancient words completely.
Great works spanning ages included Agritean words, but as time progressed, it became harder to create perfect sentences.
The candidates in the audience maintained their composure while silently reciting the Agritean words they had memorized repeatedly since childhood.
Among them, a confident smile spread across Grace's lips.
Grand Duchess Caroline had been right. Thanks to the grand duchess’s insight that Agritea would be the theme of the first contest, Grace had recited an Agritean poetry collection even this morning.
Grace glanced at Arabelle beside her, her smile widening even more. It was evident Arabelle had never even heard of Agritea.
As Grace had suspected, Arabelle’s face turned as white as a sheet, showing she had never encountered Agritea.
This was because Agritea was a symbol of privilege in high aristocratic society. It was a language that appeared in the highest cultural and artistic works accessible only to the upper nobility and served as a cruel tool to disregard and exclude those outside their social circle.
The candidates are expected to recite Agritean poetry or create poetry or music combining Agritean with the Empire’s language. Sensing their thoughts, Baron Gabriel's purple eyes sparkled as he spoke.
“We cannot subject the distinguished ladies of the continent to the trite task of reciting poetry or writing lyrics using Agritea.”
As the audience began to stir again, Baron Gabriel spread his right arm and twisted his upper body slightly to point to the right side of the stage.
“Introducing the royal performance troupe of the Kingdom of Kedin, which arrived in the Empire last week.”
The royal performance troupe of the Kingdom of Kedin, the continent’s finest theater troupe, entered.
The only performance troupe using Agritea for a third of their performances, they captivated the pretentious royals and high nobility who didn’t even fully understand Agritea.
They believed that simply watching the performance elevated their status, even if they couldn’t understand it.
“The candidates will participate in the troupe’s play for this contest.”
At the baron’s words, not only the candidates but also the guests in the audience widened their eyes in surprise.
“After watching the troupe’s play, predict the final scene…”
With his thin lips moving, Baron Gabriel’s purple eyes looked at the eleven candidates one by one.
“Show us your acting. This is your first contest theme.”
In other words, it was a test of how well they understood the play made with the mysterious Agritea, which had no linguistic rules.
This was on a completely different level than memorizing a few hundred words.
Even Grace’s confident face stiffened a bit, just like the other candidates.
“Now, let the first contest begin.”
After a stylish bow, Baron Gabriel exited the stage.
***
The stage of the Kedin royal troupe drove the audience into a frenzy of laughter. The comedy, a parody of the Animal Kingdom, was filled with ridiculous expressions and gestures that anyone could find amusing.
Even if they didn’t fully understand the dialogues mixed with Imperial and Agritean languages, knowing some of the words made it enjoyable. Or at least they could pretend to understand.
The bluebird in the cage carried by the two lovers lost in the forest was the star of today’s performance.
Every time the bluebird flapped its wings and mimicked the woman’s words, moving its sharp beak to make sounds, the audience's laughter filled the theater.
Quick-witted candidates covered their mouths with fans and laughed gracefully whenever they heard laughter from behind. Noble ladies like Grace, who knew many words, burst into laughter at the funny lines that matched the Empire’s language, while those who didn’t understand at all giggled at the actors' clumsy falls and rolls.
Only one person stared blankly at the stage, unable to laugh, her round eyes wide open.
Even though they themselves laughed at the troupe’s performance without understanding Agritea, the three maids worriedly stomped their feet, feeling sorry.
Unlike the other ladies who could at least follow the audience's cues to laugh, Arabelle’s eyes were now red with tension.
As the troupe's play finally ended, Baron Gabriel reappeared and called the eleven candidates to the stage.
“Candidates, please come up to the stage and join the actors who will perform the final scene with you.”
The actors, dressed as forest animals, stood spaced apart on the stage, smiling at the ladies approaching them.
Grace and two other candidates took their positions next to the actress carrying the birdcage with the incessantly chattering blue bird.
When the last remaining Arabelle also stood next to the actress with the birdcage, Grace twisted her lips in mockery.
“At least you have the sense to follow me. But that won’t save you from embarrassment.”
Her words drew deliberate chuckles from the ladies on stage.
Baron Gabriel pulled a piece of paper from a large copper goblet containing the names of the eleven candidates and unfolded it.
“The first lady to perform the final scene is… Lady Margaret.”
Margaret, standing next to Princess Lilibet, swallowed hard and approached the man in a giraffe costume. She picked up a branch from beside him and pretended to feed it to him, only to snatch it away, creating a humorous scene.
Uttering the word she knew, “Jump,” as the giraffe comically twisted its neck and jumped for the branch, laughter erupted from the audience.
After each name was called, only Grace and Arabelle remained.
Baron Gabriel unfolded the next piece of paper and said.
"Lady Grace, please begin."
Called upon, Grace stood before the actress with a confident expression, surveying the audience.
***
“Well, that is…”
“Speak clearly.”
When Kyle’s hesitation grew noticeable, the Emperor issued a short command, struggling to quell his impatience.
The Emperor had finished a naval meeting about the pirate eradication plan early that morning and was now on his way to the knights’ training grounds. He had intended to avoid the competition altogether, as promised to Arabelle, but couldn’t ignore the ongoing updates.
“She’s the only one not laughing.”
“Only one…”
“Yes, she seems to be holding back tears…”
The Emperor's jaw clenched tightly at Kyle’s reply.
“When I ascended the throne, I should have abolished that damn Agrathe. Now it’s just a useless language for those arrogant nobles’ vanity. I swear I’ll make it disappear.”
Kyle gaped at the Emperor, who spat out words laced with barely suppressed fury. The Emperor, gifted with an innate talent for languages (among other things), would sometimes use Agrathe to mock the nobles, blending words into sentences to watch them misunderstand and laugh at their ignorance.
For the Emperor to now vow to abolish Agrathe, which he once found amusing for exposing the pretentious nobles, was shocking. Kyle followed the Emperor with a perplexed expression.
“Uh, Your Majesty, the training grounds are this way…”
Kyle called out as the Emperor passed the path leading to the training grounds. The Emperor, barely glancing back, replied,
“After an early morning meeting, my headaches. I need some fresh air alone on the rooftop. Do not follow.”
The Emperor’s long strides were already taking him up the secret stairs to the palace's sixth-floor rooftop.
***
When the Emperor peered through the secret entrance, Grace was already basking in the audience’s enthusiastic applause.
Grace, who understood the most words, was certain the play was a comedy about two lovers lost in a forest causing a ruckus among enchanted animals. The bluebird in the cage mimicked the woman's private confessions, embarrassing her but ultimately revealing their love.
Grace handed a bouquet to the actress, saying, “Congratulations. Marriage,” and gave the bluebird a fruit through the bars, praising it with “Well done.” She seamlessly concluded the play with the couple’s confirmed love and ensuing marriage. Her victory was evident.
Gabriel silenced the applause,
“There is still one lady remaining. Please, everyone, quiet down.”
He turned to Arabelle with a kind voice.
“Lady Arabelle, your performance, please.”
The theater fell into silence.
The only candidate favored by the Emperor. Most gazes directed at her were sharp with hostility. Many in the audience were relatives or close acquaintances of the other candidates, so it was understandable.
The small, frail figure on stage appeared pathetic. She trembled so much that large tears were now falling from her big eyes. She hadn't even smiled during the play, let alone laughed, and now, since stepping onto the stage, her lips quivered as she began to sob.
If she hadn’t received a proper education, she should at least have had the sense to follow others' cues, but she seemed utterly dull and stupid. If she lacked awareness, she should have at least had the courage, but here she was trembling and now outright crying when it was her turn.
The nobles smirked and shook their heads, internally mocking the Emperor’s poor judgment.
The bluebird in the cage let out a mockingcackle, prompting the audience to laugh along. Arabelle, her face red, continued wiping her tears with her hand.
Seeing this, veins stood out on the Emperor’s hand as he gripped the secret door handle, ready to break his promise and retrieve her. As he turned the handle, Arabelle suddenly opened the cage. The blue bird flew out, spreading its wings wide and soaring into the sky.
The audience was left speechless, and grumbling filled the room.
“What is she doing?”
“Even an uneducated street woman wouldn’t act this foolishly!”
“She ruined the show by letting the bird go!”
“How disgraceful to have someone so unfit as a candidate for Empress on the same stage as our children.”
The Emperor resolved to silence those mocking mouths as he opened the door and stepped onto the theater floor. Just then, the blue bird’s cry grew closer, and it returned to the stage.
With a blue feathered wreath in its beak, the bird dropped it on the actress’s head, changing the atmosphere immediately. The actress donned a robe of blue feathers, and the animal actors swarmed the male lead, who everyone thought was the lover, and killed him.
The comedy turned into a tragedy in an instant.
The actress, now in a feathered robe, took the feather wreath and placed it on Arabelle’s head, bowing deeply.
Gabriel, his voice trembling with disbelief, announced,
“The winner of today’s competition is…”
In a resounding voice,
“Lady Arabelle!”
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