"Nilou, please… go with His Highness, Leon."
"What did you say, Mr. Zubair?!"
Nilou looked around the Zubair Theater in disbelief, almost unable to bear those words.
Moments earlier, when Leon had said he could offer them shelter and invite them to the Magic Kingdom, a murmur had spread throughout the entire theater.
The proposal had shaken everyone.
Shortly afterward, the owner of the Zubair Theater, Mr. Zubair, spoke on behalf of them all and asked Nilou to leave with the prince.
"My child, listen to me. This is the best choice. If you follow Prince Leon and leave Sumeru, perhaps the Akademiya will stop troubling us."
"Why? Why…?"
Nilou's voice trembled.
"Because you can perform the Dance of the Goddess of Flowers."
Those words lingered in the air like an inevitable sentence.
The Grand Sage, now determined to replace Nahida and eager to erase every trace of her influence, would never tolerate such a thing.
Nilou is capable of performing the Dance of the Goddess of Flowers—the dance that celebrates Nahida's birth.
There was no doubt about it.
To those who wished to eradicate faith in Nahida, it was nothing short of a "visual blasphemy."
That dance was like a seed of faith.
Whenever she performed it, Nahida's followers—who were supposed to have faded under the Akademiya's control—would sprout once more like weeds carried by the spring breeze: resilient and unending.
The fact that the Zubair Theater had become a target was not Nilou's fault.
But in a way…
It was.
"What do you mean…?"
When she finally understood, Nilou turned pale.
Unbelievably, the reason everyone was being persecuted was because of her.
Even though they kept telling her it wasn't her fault, guilt had already taken root in her heart.
"So go with Prince Leon and leave Sumeru, Nilou. If you leave, perhaps the Akademiya will spare the theater. Besides, I've heard that art is highly valued in the Kingdom of Palettia. If you earn the Prince's appreciation, you will certainly have more room to grow."
"But… can't we all go together? Didn't His Highness Leon say that everyone at the Zubair Theater could go to the Kingdom of Palettia? I… we could…"
Nilou looked at everyone with deep reluctance.
She loves her home dearly.
And the Zubair Theater is her home.
Nilou has never asked for a bigger stage.
It's true that she wishes more people could see her dance, but she is not greedy.
Whenever she performs at the Grand Bazaar, there are dozens of spectators.
For her, that is already enough.
Even if there were only a single person willing to watch, Nilou would still dance with all her heart.
She believed she could continue like this.
"Nilou… we can't leave. No, to be precise, we cannot abandon the Zubair Theater."
Her hopes were gently denied.
"Huh…?"
"The Zubair Theater is already an inseparable part of the Grand Bazaar. Those of us who belong here must remain."
Nilou fell silent.
She understood what that meant.
For the people who live in the underground market, excluded by Sumeru's elite, the Zubair Theater is more than just a stage.
It is the soul of the Grand Bazaar.
It is what keeps everyone's vitality and optimism alive.
Here, artistic performances bring smiles and comfort.
Nilou could leave the Grand Bazaar.
But the Zubair Theater could not.
If they left, the market would lose its light.
And worse still, that pure land might eventually degenerate into a true underground black market within the Kingdom of Sumeru—a place where only criminals gather.
"Mr. Zubair… I don't want to leave…"
"It's alright, Nilou. You can come back as often as you like. Besides, eaglets must leave the nest someday."
He took a deep breath.
"Actually… I regret bringing you into the Zubair Theater."
"Huh?!"
"If you hadn't joined us, perhaps you would already be on a much larger stage. You wouldn't have to be targeted by the Akademiya every day in this small underground theater."
There was remorse in his eyes.
The girl before him was the theater's greatest pride.
Nilou is the shining jewel of the Zubair Theater.
And precisely because of that…
They could not allow this pearl to turn into dust.
"Nilou, with your talent and strength, you should stand on a more beautiful and broader stage. Your audience should never be limited to the people of the Grand Bazaar."
His gaze grew solemn.
"I was the one who made a mistake. I shouldn't have brought you into this theater. If we hadn't held you back… your achievements would be far greater."
Although the Zubair Theater is considered the best in Sumeru, he knew very well that this so-called "number one" was insignificant in the wider world.
Aside from Nilou's dance, the performances were not truly extraordinary.
"No! That's not true!" Nilou replied at once, shaking her head. "I have never thought the Zubair Theater was a burden to me. You were the one who guided me onto this path."
Her voice grew firm.
"It's because of the Zubair Theater that I am who I am today. If it weren't for all of you, I might not even be a dancer."
She had never regretted becoming part of the theater.
Even if the stage was simple, modest, and small.
Even if it was difficult and seemingly insignificant.
She was still proud of it.
She could still dance with a smile.
The red-haired girl looked down at the stage beneath her feet—the same one she had danced upon thousands of times.
Her steps had marked every wooden board.
Her sweat had soaked into every inch of the floor.
One might say Nilou is a girl without ambition.
But deep down, she only wished to keep dancing on that simple stage forever.
Even knowing that it had now become a chain restraining her growth.
Even so…
She did not regret it.
She was willing to accept it.
"Good child… thank you. Thank you so much. On behalf of everyone, I say this: we are proud of you. The Zubair Theater is proud of you."
"Mr. Zubair…"
"But that's enough, Nilou. Now it's time to turn to the next page of your life. Follow His Highness and set out toward a broader sky. That is the wish of all of us."
"The wish of everyone…?"
Nilou lifted her gaze.
Everyone in the theater looked at her with tenderness.
There was expectation.
Gratitude.
Silent blessings.
"Nilou, go."
"Yes, you shouldn't stop here."
"Don't worry, we'll always be here."
"Nilou, you represent the Zubair Theater. No—you represent the Grand Bazaar. Go see the world beyond. We all want to see you shine even brighter."
The red-haired dancer's eyes began to glisten.
She looked like a young girl about to leave home for the first time—reluctant, yet determined.
They all sent her off with smiles.
As companions, they understood better than anyone the potential of the girl named Nilou.
She could never be buried in a place like this.
Never.
As friends, partners… as family.
It was their responsibility to send her to a place where she could reveal her true brilliance.
Mr. Zubair turned to Leon and bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle.
"Prince Leon… our Nilou… I entrust her to you. Please, take good care of her for us."
It was a heartfelt request, spoken with utmost sincerity.
Leon nodded with equal seriousness.
"Don't worry. I swear I will take good care of Nilou and bring her to the finest stage possible."
(End of Chapter)