You’re walking through Estella Opera House. It’s creepy. Spiders made of puppets are dangling from the ceiling, and the whole place smells like burnt stage makeup and decay. Then, you hear it. A faint, raspy cough coming from behind a heavy red curtain. This is where most players first encounter Adelina the Actress, and honestly, her storyline is one of the most gut-wrenching examples of how Neowiz handles world-building in Lies of P.
She isn't a boss. She won't jump out and try to parry your soul into oblivion. Adelina is just a dying woman sitting in a chair, surrounded by the faded glory of a career that the Petrification Disease stole from her. If you’ve played souls-likes before, you know the drill: find the NPC, find the item, get the reward. But Adelina’s quest feels different because it’s so small and personal amidst the literal apocalypse happening in Krat.
Finding Adelina in the Estella Opera House
Getting to her is easy enough, but missing the "good" ending to her quest is even easier. Once you’ve cleared out some of those annoying puppet dancers in the Opera House, you’ll find a small room tucked away. Inside sits Adelina. She’s sick. Really sick. Her skin is turning to stone, her voice is shot, and she’s thirsty.
The game doesn't give you a quest marker. It never does. You just see a woman who was once the "Red Actress" reduced to a shadow. To progress the Lies of P Adelina story, you need a specific item: the Bright Red Apple.
Now, here is where people mess up. If you go into the boss fight against the King of Puppets before giving her the apple, you’ve basically failed. She’ll die alone and thirsty. It’s brutal. You have to buy that apple from Polendina back at Hotel Krat. But wait—Polendina doesn’t just have it in stock. You have to find the Krat Supply Box first, which is hidden in St. Frangelico Cathedral.
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It’s a lot of legwork for a piece of fruit.
The jealousy of the Red Actress
Why does she want an apple? It’s not just about thirst. If you read the collectibles scattered around the Opera House—specifically the "Notes from a Patient" and the "Actress's Newspaper Clipping"—a darker picture starts to emerge. Adelina wasn’t just a victim of the plague; she was a victim of her own envy.
She had a rival named Patricia. Patricia was younger, talented, and rising fast. Adelina, desperate to keep her spot as the star, basically sabotaged her. There's a strong implication in the lore that Adelina's current state is a sort of karmic retribution. She wanted to be the only one on stage, and now she's the only one left in a theater of ghosts.
When you give her the apple, she doesn't give you a legendary sword or a heap of Ergo immediately. She just thanks you. It's a quiet moment. She talks about the taste, the sweetness, and how it reminds her of a time before the world went to hell. It’s one of those rare moments in Lies of P where P feels more like a boy and less like a weapon.
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The rewards of a tragic end
Once you defeat Romeo, the King of Puppets, you should head back to her room. Don't expect a warm welcome. Adelina will be dead in her chair. It sucks, but that’s Krat for you.
However, if you gave her the apple, she leaves behind a couple of items that are essential for completionists:
- The Fascination Record: This is the big one. Listening to records at the Hotel is how you gain Humanity. If you want the "Rise of P" ending (the best one), you need every bit of Humanity you can get.
- Adelina’s Locket: A small, decorative piece that serves as a memento. It’s a sad reminder of her vanity and her eventual grace in the face of death.
If you didn't give her the apple? You get nothing. Just a cold room and a silent puppet.
Why Adelina matters for your Humanity
A lot of people ask if the Lies of P Adelina quest is actually mandatory. Technically, no. You can beat the game without ever looking at her. But you'd be missing the point of what Neowiz was trying to do with the "Lie" system.
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The game is constantly testing your empathy. Do you spend your hard-earned gold on an apple for a stranger who can’t help you fight? Or do you hoard your resources to level up your strength? Choosing to help Adelina is a "Human" action. It’s a choice made out of kindness rather than utility.
Interestingly, the community has debated whether giving her the apple is "enabling" her or "comforting" her. Given her history of sabotage, some players feel she doesn't deserve the peace. But in the context of the game's themes of forgiveness and becoming "real," showing mercy to a flawed person like Adelina is exactly what a human would do.
Common pitfalls and glitches
I've seen some talk on Reddit and Steam forums about the apple not appearing in Polendina’s shop. Usually, this isn't a glitch. It’s because the player hasn't turned in the correct Supply Box. There are three different supply boxes in the game, and if you miss the one in the Cathedral, the apple won't trigger.
Another thing: don't accidentally hit her. Some players try to "test" their weapons in her room and end up aggroing or killing her prematurely. In a game where every swing of the sword matters, watch your inputs around NPCs.
Actionable Steps for your playthrough
To ensure you get the most out of the Adelina storyline, follow these specific beats:
- Don't rush the Cathedral. Make sure you find the Krat Supply Box in the room with the elite decay monster before moving on to the Opera House.
- Talk to Polendina. Hand over the box and buy the Bright Red Apple immediately. It costs 1,000 Ergo. Small price to pay for a soul.
- Find Adelina before the boss. Enter the Estella Opera House, find her room on the ground floor behind the stage area, and give her the apple before you ever step foot in Romeo’s boss arena.
- Listen to the Record. After she passes away, pick up the "Fascination" record and play it from start to finish at Hotel Krat. Do not fast travel or talk to anyone while it's playing; let the song finish to ensure your Humanity points trigger.
This quest is a microcosm of the entire game. It’s dark, it’s slightly twisted, and it rewards players who pay attention to the small, broken lives left in the wake of the puppet frenzy. If you want the true ending, Adelina isn't just an optional NPC—she's a mandatory stop on your journey toward becoming human.