Chapter 52
—
“It’s best to stay away from the piano for the time being.”
Hearing those words flow through the open crack of the drawing room door, Therese’s face brightened like the midday sun.
How much suffering she had endured until now!
Her sister would rush to the piano in the banquet hall the moment her duties were done, hammering away at the keys.
The practice sessions would continue until dawn.
Just as Therese managed to fall asleep, the sound of the piano would ring out again, forcing her into insomnia.
To make things worse, her room was close to the banquet hall, so the fatigue was no joke.
Her exceptional hearing only added to the misery.
She could predict the meal menu from the conversations of the servants at the far end of the hallway.
Because of that, even the soundproof magic, which could block almost anything, failed to numb her sensitive ears.
That was the problem.
No one understood her plight, and she had nowhere to vent her frustration.
If she asked the maids, or even her older brother Luhan, the response was always the same.
“I don’t hear anything.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Argh!”
Am I the only one hearing this?
Why can only I hear it?
Those were days of torment and trials.
But now!
“The piano is absolutely off-limits. Absolutely.”
It finally felt like all the solitary endurance she had borne was being rewarded.
If Anton Tilburg himself was advising her sister to stop, even she couldn’t refuse.
Though it might only be temporary, the thought of separating her sister from the piano, even briefly, brought a smile to Therese’s face.
‘Am I being a little wicked right now?’
It couldn’t be helped.
Even the best melodies could drive you insane if played all day long.
She had proven that herself over the past few months as the test subject.
At that moment.
“If you refrain from playing for a week, I’ll prepare a special reward for you.”
A chilling, dismal echo pierced Therese’s ears.
‘What could it be?’
Would he compose a new piece for her? Offer to be her piano teacher himself?
Surely, he wouldn’t suggest something that absurd.
Please.
Clenching her delicate hands, Therese silently prayed.
***
“I will give Your Highness a brand-new sheet music piece. It’s something that’s never been released anywhere before, and likely never will be.”
“Wow!”
Startled, Elize shot up from her seat and shouted.
Is it really that exciting?
Her dignified image as the Crown Princess was nowhere to be seen. Her eyes sparkled as she banged on the table repeatedly.
‘In moments like this, she reminds me of Aria.’
Especially how her emotions swing wildly based on my words.
When I told her she couldn’t play the piano, she sulked like a child whose favourite toy had been taken away. Now, the mention of an unreleased piece has her mood flipping entirely.
‘She doesn’t have bipolar disorder, does she?’
Such mood swings are common among performers.
Immersing oneself deeply in emotions can often lead to instability.
“What kind of sheet music is it? Is it a workbook? Or something you’ve composed yourself?”
While it’s not entirely impossible, her current state doesn’t seem severe.
For my diagnosis to hold, she would need to feel stressed about playing.
But Elize…
No matter how I look at her, she doesn’t seem stressed.
She’s just pouting because I took something away, and now that I’m offering it back, her mood has improved.
Regardless.
If I stall for too long, those hands banging on the table might turn on me, so I quickly opened my mouth.
“It’s a new composition. I wrote it as inspiration came. I hadn’t planned to release it, but if Your Highness is interested, I’d like to give it as a gift.”
“I love it! I absolutely love it! Finally, we’re on the same page!”
“I’m glad you like it…”
“All I have to do is hold out for a week, right?”
“I think a week of rest should be enough for you to recover…”
“Oh no! I don’t think I can wait that long. I’ve already reached my limit with nothing new to learn!”
“Ah, I see.”
“I’m so excited! An unreleased piece composed by you! It’s just for me, right? No one else can see it, right?”
If I kept listening to her, the conversation might never end.
“It makes me so happy to see you this pleased. Then I’ll see you again in a week.”
Even though the person sitting across from me was the Crown Princess, I didn’t have the luxury to leisurely enjoy tea and snacks with anyone.
Especially not when this was one of the few free moments I had gotten in a long time.
As soon as I returned to the manor, I’d probably be thrown back into work without a chance to rest.
I didn’t blame Elize.
She was simply an enthusiastic fan of my music, and it was only fair to repay her support.
But if I could ask for one thing…
‘Please, just let me go.’
She kept talking nonstop, but it was all variations of the same theme.
Her feelings had already come across clearly.
Then.
Bang!
The drawing room door swung open with enough force to break it.
“Absolutely not!”
Elize and I turned our eyes simultaneously toward the source of the voice.
A small girl, shorter than most grown women, stood fuming.
The hem of her golden dress dragged across the floor.
‘Therese?’
Although I hadn’t seen her often, I could tell by intuition.
She was Elize’s one and only younger sister, the princess of the Empire.
“Musician, I have one question for you.”
“…Yes.”
She stomped toward me with a scowl on her face.
“How bad is my sister’s hand condition? From what I heard, it seems pretty serious.”
I wanted to ask how she knew that, but I held back.
Did she eavesdrop from the door?
“She seems fine for now, but her wrists are quite strained. However, you don’t need to worry. A few days of rest should restore her to her usual state.”
It seems she was concerned about her sister Elize’s condition.
How heartwarming to see sisters caring for each other.
“No. Would a few days really be enough?”
“Pardon?”
“Wouldn’t it be better for her to rest for about a year?”
“Well… that would certainly help her recovery. However, if she stops playing for a year, the skills she has worked so hard to build will deteriorate significantly…”
“My sister is the one who will take responsibility for the Empire’s peace and prosperity in the future. She is the Crown Princess, after all. Isn’t the Empire’s welfare more important than playing the piano? Shouldn’t safeguarding the Empire take precedence over everything else?”
Suddenly, Therese began lecturing me in an imposing tone.
She’s not wrong.
Elize will one day ascend to the throne as Empress.
The weight of her duties will be immense.
It’s no exaggeration to say that the responsibilities awaiting her far outweigh a mere piano performance.
Right.
She’s absolutely right.
But why is she telling this to me?
The person she should be talking to is right here in the room.
Does she not want to confront Elize directly?
Moreover, I can’t quite figure out what answer she’s expecting from me.
‘Wasn’t she worried about her sister?’
Or did she simply dislike how engrossed Elize was in the piano to the point of neglecting her duties?
Whatever the case, one thing is certain.
‘The princess doesn’t seem to like the piano as much as her sister does.’
I’m pretty sure she’s accompanied her to a few of my recitals.
But everyone has their own preferences, and I respect that.
Therese’s impassioned speech continued.
“Duty is more important than the piano. Surely, you understand that, Musician.”
I get it, but why is she directing this at me?
Then, suddenly, she leaned in and whispered into my ear.
“Please, stop her. If you push her any further, who knows what will happen. Please.”
“What do you mean by…”
Are both sisters just difficult people?
No, wait.
Could this be…
Elize pounding the keys for twelve hours a day, and her sister disapproving of it.
The picture is starting to come together.
Was all this shouting an act to persuade me?
To prevent me from encouraging Elize with her piano playing?
I decided to test the waters.
“…You’ve been through a lot.”
I whispered softly, just loud enough for her to hear.
“Sniff… sob…”
Therese began trembling, feigning tears.
Confirmed.
The piano is an instrument.
What is an instrument?
An object that produces sound through performance.
When played moderately, its distinctive tones and melodies can captivate the listener.
But when overplayed, it becomes something else entirely.
It backfires.
Imagine listening to the same song for twelve hours straight.
While it may be enjoyable for the performer, it’s sheer torture for the listener.
Nothing else compares to such noise.
“My room is close to the banquet hall, so the piano keeps playing day and night… sniff… soundproof magic doesn’t work either… sob…”
“I understand.”
But that’s not all.
Elize and Therese are sisters, so they must see each other often.
How must it feel to see your sister waving her arms over the piano every time you look at her?
“So please, Musician, stop her. If this continues, I’ll die.”
“Can’t you tell her that yourself, Your Highness?”
“I have a feeling that one word from you will be more effective than ten from me.”
“…I understand.”
This is quite the predicament.
In terms of status, the Crown Princess Elize naturally ranks higher. But when it comes to life-and-death matters, such distinctions lose their importance.
However, it’s not like I can backtrack on what I promised now.
Otherwise, my own life might be at risk instead of Therese’s.
‘I guess I have no choice.’
Though I hadn’t planned for this, I quickly racked my brain for a solution.
—
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