The Reason Why the Forsaken Fake Returned – Chapter 77

Author: alyalia

After letting Declen go, Shailoh threw herself into the opera as if it were the only place she could breathe. She practiced singing for more than ten hours a day and acted alongside other performers. She memorized not only her lines and lyrics but also those of her partners to the point that Doris began to worry and tried to dissuade her.

“You seem to be overdoing it. The first performance is still a long way off. You can finally relax now, so why are you so anxious?”

“Anxious?”

“Yes. You look like someone being chased, running forward without ever looking back.”

Shailoh was momentarily at a loss for words at Doris’s perceptive comment.

Doris gently massaged her shoulders and suggested, “Once we get through this first performance, let’s go somewhere together. A nearby park would be nice, or the Korn River. If we pay a little extra, the boatman will even sing for us.”

The Korn River. It was the place where she had once ridden a boat with Caleb, before she knew the truth. A day when she was blissfully ignorant.

“Milady?”

Doris stopped her hands as Shailoh’s expression darkened. This time, Shailoh looked at Doris’s face through the mirror, not wanting to worry her further.

“Not a bad idea. It’s a good thought.”

“Do you promise?”

“Yes.”

Doris cheered quietly and gave Shailoh’s hair a final touch.

“Although it’s Mr. Wyson’s script, why did you choose this play? You could have picked any other play now.”

There was a time when she was bombarded with criticism, demands for refunds were rampant, and people spat on the ground as she passed by, but that was no longer the case. The public now admired her more than ever for overcoming her hardships and achieving success. Even though Shailoh’s real name was revealed, she continued to perform as ‘Sasha Griche,’ and everyone called her by that name.

Some playwrights wanted to turn her life into a play, and novelists who reached out wanting to write about her story. However, Shailoh rejected all those requests. She no longer wanted to be a topic of gossip. She didn’t want to be swayed by the public’s fickle nature, nor did she want to be a singer who flared up briefly only to be quickly forgotten. She wanted to disappear at the height of her brilliance.

“This might be my retirement piece, Doris.”

“What?” Doris was so startled that she froze, blinking in surprise.

Shailoh gave a bitter smile, having expected this reaction. “Like you said, I can finally rest now. I’m exhausted, so I’m stepping down from the stage.”

“Forever?”

“Forever.”

In any case, when the time came and she went to Declen, she would no longer stand on stage as a singer. Though there was still something she had to settle before that.

“Why on earth…” Doris shook her head, trying to say something, but at that moment, someone knocked on the door from outside.

“It’s time.”

“Let’s go.” Shailoh gave her lips one final touch-up before standing up and patting Doris on the shoulder. “We’ll continue talking after practice.”

“Alright.” Doris, with a concerned expression, cheered her on. “Do well.”

“Okay.”

Turning the doorknob, Shailoh left Doris behind and exited the waiting room. She walked down the long corridor and stepped onto the stage. Her co-actor, who had arrived ahead of her, was already prepared. Shailoh coordinated with him, delivered her lines, and then took a deep breath to sing. As everyone watched her, she was about to part her lips.

“…”

“…Miss Griche?”

Like someone frozen in time, Shailoh stood there, mouth agape, unable to move. Despite the co-actor repeatedly calling her name, his voice sounded distant, as if echoing from far away.

“What’s going on?” Wyson, who had been observing the unusual scene from the audience, stood up abruptly and approached. “Miss Griche? Are you feeling unwell?”

Instead of answering, Shailoh shook her head. Her pale face was reflected in Wyson’s eyes. She was sweating profusely and clutching her chest in distress. Struggling to breathe, Shailoh finally managed to speak. “My… voice.”

“…”

“Won’t come out.”

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t sing. It felt like being a fish that had forgotten how to breathe underwater. Her vision turned white, and her mind went blank. At the same time, dizziness overwhelmed her, and the world tilted.

“Miss Griche!”

“Kyaa!”

Wyson caught the collapsing Shailoh in his arms and shouted loudly. “Doctor! Someone call a doctor immediately!”

* * *

When Shailoh regained consciousness, the sun was already setting. Doris, who had been wiping her cold sweat during the night, was asleep with her face buried in the bed. To avoid waking her with any sound, Shailoh gritted her teeth and struggled to sit up. Her throat felt parched. Looking around for water, she was relieved to find a glass on the nightstand. She reached for it, but misjudged her strength, causing it to fall to the floor. The noise startled Doris awake.

“Oh gosh!”

“…Doris.”

“Milady!” Doris, glancing between the spilled water on the floor and Shailoh, hugged her with a look of relief. “You really scared me. Do you know how worried I was?”

“I’m sorry. And thank you… But what happened?”

“How much do you remember?”

“I was on stage rehearsing… but I couldn’t get my voice out. Then I suddenly started sweating a lot… and Mr. Wyson approached.” As she recalled up to that point, a splitting headache suddenly surged through her. Clutching her temples, Shailoh bent over in pain.

Doris, looking sympathetic, embraced her. “Right after that, you lost consciousness.”

“Why couldn’t… I sing?” Instinctively, Shailoh placed both hands on her throat. Was there something different than usual? It wasn’t. Although she had been pushing herself a bit lately, she had been living regularly, and yesterday was no exception.

“The doctor said…” Doris hesitated, unsure how to convey the message, but then she spoke frankly. “Have you ever heard of psychogenic aphasia?”

“Isn’t that when you suddenly can’t speak due to psychological reasons?”

“Yes, exactly. The doctor mentioned that you have this condition.”

Watching Doris nod, Shailoh let out a deflated laugh. “But, Doris. I’m talking perfectly fine right now.”

“They said it’s a special case. Normally, aphasia means you can’t speak at all, but in your case, it seems to be limited to ‘singing.’ They mentioned it’s the first time they’ve encountered such a case.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Shailoh suddenly tried to sing a nursery rhyme that came to mind. “The…” In her mind, everything was perfect, but no sound came out of her throat. It was as if someone was choking her, and the moment she tried to sing the lyrics, she felt suffocated and distressed. “Cough, cough…” As if trying to clear an obstruction in her throat, Shailoh coughed, and Doris gently patted her back.

“Can’t you do it?”

“This is… truly unbelievable.”

The moment she gave up on singing, her voice returned as if nothing had happened. Her vision darkened, and she felt faint. Shailoh closed her eyes tightly and covered her face with both hands.

“Don’t be too disheartened, Milady. If we find and eliminate the cause, you might be able to sing again.”

“Really…?”

For a moment, Doris’s answer brought a sense of relief, but it quickly vanished like a wave washing it away. The biggest problem was not knowing what the cause was.

Just then, someone knocked on the door. Thinking it might be Wyson, she was about to say ‘come in’ when a maid announced an unwelcome visitor.

“His Highness has arrived.”

Shailoh’s lips tightened as she lowered her hands and gripped the blanket. This was someone she didn’t want to see yet. Not now, and perhaps not ever.

“My apologies, but she’s not feeling w—”

“No.” Shailoh stopped Doris, who was about to answer on her behalf, and directed her words toward the door. “…Tell him I’ll be down shortly.”

“Understood.” The sound of the maid’s polite response faded away.

Doris anxiously tried to dissuade her. “If it’s too much, you should really just rest.”

“No, I’m fine.” Shailoh shook her head firmly and swung her legs off the bed.