Chapter 409: Women Bickering with Jealousy
When Alexandra learned that her co-star was none other than the Crown Prince of France, stars instantly twinkled in her large eyes.
She had always worshipped the Crown Prince, who had invented "great marvels" like the Carousel, Ferris Wheel, and Pirate Ship. He had even transformed a playboy like Uncle Alexei into a rather accomplished gentleman, and he was so handsome! To think she would actually be acting alongside him this time—it felt just like a dream!
She quickly puffed out her chest and said in a tender voice, "Your Highness, please rest assured, I have studied elocution and posture. I will surely play Annie well!"
Joseph saw how incredibly serious she was and couldn't bear to dampen the little one's enthusiasm. So he smiled and nodded, saying, "I am honored to perform on stage with you."
He didn't particularly care who he acted with, as long as it promoted Particleboard Furniture and soda drinks. Plus, having a Russian Grand Duchess as the female lead might even help develop the Russian market.
Alexandra instantly grinned happily at his words, but then her expression suddenly froze. She hastily covered her mouth with her hand, moved aside, and turned her back, fumbling in her mouth for a moment before sighing with relief, pressing a hand to her chest.
'That was close, my false teeth almost fell out!'
She was at the age where she was losing her baby teeth, with two gaps where her front teeth should be. To play the lead role this time, she had specially paid a hefty sum to have two false teeth made. However, the craftsmanship of false teeth in this era was quite poor, and any slightly vigorous movement carried the risk of them falling out, just like a moment ago.
In contrast to Alexandra's joy, the other noblewomen participating in the performance glared darkly at the troupe leader.
Who knew that today, the lead role would be snatched by a little Russian girl who had suddenly appeared! And seeing how polite the Crown Prince was to her, they all seethed with resentment.
The troupe leader, seeing the situation was unfavorable, quickly shrank his neck and made a swift exit.
Joseph was completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere among the actresses. He was focused on directing several servants to move a massive, ivory-colored bookshelf onto the stage.
After adjusting the bookshelf's position, he picked up the script and began flipping through it.
"Hmm, this needs a change. A passage should be added here..."
Soon, all the actors received the revised script. After reading it, peculiar expressions appeared on their faces. But since it was His Highness the Crown Prince who had made the changes, one noblewoman immediately praised loudly:
"What a brilliant alteration! It makes the original play radiate a dazzling, sun-like brilliance!"
"Exactly! His Highness's literary talent is simply unparalleled in Paris!"
"Oh, I absolutely adore this line His Highness changed—'A cool summer, enjoy leisurely moments. My favorite Paris Cola...'"
The noblewoman paused mid-sentence, turning in surprise to look at those beside her. She whispered, "Do you know what this means?"
"Uh, I don't know either..."
Joseph quickly cleared his throat, cutting off their awkward flattery. "Alright, everyone, once you've memorized your lines, let's start rehearsing."
On stage, a petite figure raised a small purple vial in her hand, casually shaking it at the nobleman before her.
"I've already formulated the 'Disintegration Potion.' Your 'Sleeping Draught' was broken down before it even took effect."
The man's face was filled with indignation. He pulled open his satchel, about to retaliate with another potion, when he suddenly saw the Crown Prince wink at him.
He quickly reviewed the script in his mind, then snatched a glass beverage bottle from a bystander's hand, tilted his head back, and took a large gulp. Afterward, he dramatically clenched his fist and swung his elbow downwards.
"Paris Cola gives me confidence! Annie Schur, my Level Six Alchemy will end this duel!"
Joseph then waved at the bystanders, signaling them to move away from the luxurious bookshelf behind them...
Though young, Alexandra performed quite well, especially during the alchemy duel scene. In Russia, she saw duels every day, so simply mimicking them was enough.
Furthermore, her improvisation for the "GG" parts was the most natural. Since she hadn't read the original, she assumed the plot was meant to be that way, so she showed none of the awkwardness other actors displayed when incorporating the "GG" elements. This earned her repeated praise from Joseph, who even told the other actors to learn the "GG" parts from her.
Several noblewomen immediately rolled their eyes at the little girl. When Joseph wasn't looking, they began to speak in a sarcastic tone, just loud enough for Alexandra to vaguely hear:
"Hmph, His Highness was just being polite to her. Look at her, so smug."
"Just a Russian bumpkin. What does she know about theater?"
"I wonder whose connections she used to worm her way into the troupe. Probably cost her a fortune."
The little girl, ever so well-mannered, ignored them and turned back to continue rehearsing.
If those women knew she had pulled strings through Her Majesty the Queen, and not only hadn't paid a penny, but the Queen had even given her several gowns for the trouble, their eyes would probably pop out.
When "Annie Schur" was about to act opposite "Katarina Shaw," the eldest daughter of the family, Alexandra had just taken two steps forward when a noblewoman playing a bystander suddenly slyly stuck out her foot.
Alexandra was about to trip over the foot. Fortunately, her reaction was swift. Catching a glimpse of the shadow beneath her feet, she immediately prepared to step over it. However, she instantly recalled the insulting words those women had just spoken.
She promptly pulled back her foot, then stomped down hard on the dark shape in front of her.
Her small red leather boot landed fiercely on the stocking-clad ankle, immediately eliciting a shriek:
"Ah—!"
The malicious noblewoman crumpled to the ground in pain, clutching her right foot and gasping sharply.
The surrounding noblewomen immediately gathered around, feigning comfort, then turned menacingly towards Alexandra:
"You're truly too much!"
"Tris's ankle might be broken! How could you be so cruel?"
"Look what you've done! Please apologize to Miss Tris immediately."
Alexandra also moved closer, carefully examining the foot of the woman who had tried to trip her, and then looked visibly relieved.
"It's a good thing I'm light, otherwise you really would have broken a bone. Elian always taught me that when standing, one must always maintain proper deportment. You see, carelessly sticking out your foot is not only bad manners, but you're also very likely to get it stepped on by someone else."
The noblewomen were all taken aback. They hadn't expected the little Russian girl to be so unflustered, let alone so sharp-tongued in her retort.
One noblewoman immediately looked towards Joseph, saying with a tearful voice:
"Your Highness, you saw it all. The Russian Grand Duchess deliberately stepped on Tris and then insulted her..."
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