Chapter 10
“May I say something?”
“Yes.”
It seems she has realized her identity is exposed, as she shows no signs of surprise at my overly polite manner.
“It would be best if we stopped here. If we continue like this, it will be difficult to have a proper conversation.”
“Pfft!”
Elize, the crown princess, bursts into laughter, covering her mouth.
I was worried my comment might cause some trouble, but thankfully, it didn’t.
She has a rather innocent side to her.
“It’s hard to hide it today. I sometimes enjoy disguising myself like this, thinking I won’t get caught.”
“Do you usually pretend to be a commoner?”
“No. This is my first time acting as one. I’ve pretended to be a count’s daughter a few times though. Everyone fell for it easily.”
Ah, I see now.
Now I understand.
The princess definitely brought up Clair de Lune.
But I’ve never heard rumours that a member of the royal family attended my performances at the theatre.
If there had been a royal in the audience, the gossip-hungry nobles would have reacted immediately.
That makes no sense.
She must have either made up a fictional character or disguised herself as someone else.
‘It’s a relief you didn’t come on the third day.’
If she had, things would have gotten quite complicated.
After politely bowing, I sat down again to face her.
“I thought it might be burdensome to show up unannounced, so I tried to be discreet. Though it was clearly a failure.”
Seeing her like this, she is the exact opposite of her brother, Luhan.
That man pulled me off the stage just before a performance.
It was completely unexpected.
“Please feel free to speak informally.”
“It’s difficult to do that with someone I respect.”
She laughed playfully and shrugged her shoulders.
I never expected to hear such words from a princess.
At this point, I no longer know what to say.
“Do you remember what you said at first?”
She spoke again.
“You said you came here to ask for a Favor.”
“It’s not a difficult request. I just want to get your autograph.”
“Pardon?”
So, you’re saying you want my signature?
It’s not unusual for someone to ask a performer for an autograph.
It’s a tradition that’s been around for a long time.
It’s a sign of respect and gratitude, and it can be kept as a memento.
The issue is that the one requesting it is the crown princess.
“How could someone like me, just a mere performer, offer you an autograph?”
“Don’t say things like that.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“A mere performer? Arrogance may be a sin, but so is excessive humility.”
“I apologize.”
Her admiration must be sincere.
After all, she knows every piece I’ve performed for the public, from Clair de Lune to the William Tell Overture.
There’s no need to doubt it any further.
It’s just that her favourite performer is lowering himself, and that’s something she can’t tolerate.
I can fully understand her feelings, as someone who’s also a fan of certain artists.
I called for Theo and asked for the finest paper in the manor.
A piece of soft parchment was laid out in front of me.
I dipped the pen in ink and started writing my name.
“Is there any particular message you’d like me to include?”
A valuable autograph usually comes with a small note.
Something like ‘Wishing you happiness always’ or ‘Thank you for the delicious meal.’
The princess thought for a moment and then spoke.
“For Elize.”
“…That’s a wonderful line.”
I struggled to hide my surprise.
If she had asked for a dedication piece rather than a signature, I wouldn’t have been able to conceal my expression.
Though it feels like it’s only a matter of time.
The princess, holding the parchment, gave a subtle smile.
Though she didn’t show it openly, she seemed extremely pleased.
She then looked at me again with a calm expression.
“And one more thing. Since my identity has already been revealed, I’ll speak freely.”
“Yes, please do.”
“I heard you accepted the proposal to perform at the Knights’ Departure Ceremony.”
Proposal?
“I considered it more of an order.”
“I suppose it could have felt that way.”
The princess took a sip of her tea and continued speaking.
“Did you receive any compensation?”
“Honor and glory are more than enough for me.”
“That’s not compensation.”
“Pardon?”
“Compensation should be something more tangible.”
It’s quite a capitalist viewpoint.
Of course, I wholeheartedly agree with her opinion.
“I’ll send a sponsorship in the name of the Royal Family.”
“…Thank you.”
Sponsorship, huh.
In truth, it’s not really necessary.
Our family’s finances aren’t in a dangerous state.
The debt to Count Haverland can be repaid with the theatre’s revenue.
While it’s said that a performer’s livelihood depends on sponsorships, that’s not necessarily true.
In my case, if I sell sheet music…
Wait, hold on.
“Your Highness.”
“Yes?”
“May I ask for a Favor other than sponsorship?”
“Haha, go ahead. I’ll grant whatever you want. Do you want a medal? A certificate of appreciation? I could even appoint you as an official musician for the royal family.”
“No, none of that is necessary.”
“Then what is it?”
“I’d appreciate it if you could write me a letter of recommendation.”
“A letter of recommendation?”
I plan to properly recreate and release Schubert’s Moment Musical No. 3 soon.
It’s a piece that’s not too difficult to play, as long as you have some skill.
I was initially planning to sell it to performers and nobles as a trial, but I thought of a better way to solidify my customer base.
What if the letter of recommendation from the crown princess was included in the sheet music?
“Sounds good,” she said.
“But first, I need to hear the music. Otherwise, I can’t write a recommendation, can I?”
“Of course, you’re absolutely right.”
But…
That means I have to bring the princess to my room.
This is quite the irreverent act.
I can’t move the piano, so I resigned myself to it.
“I’m ashamed to have to invite you to such a humble place.”
“It’s alright.”
Luckily, I had tidied up, so the room wasn’t too messy.
I sat at the piano and immediately began playing.
Warm and delicate notes echoed through the room.
The lively rhythm created by the left hand was covered by a flowing melody crafted by the right.
The piece started off serene and sorrowful but then transitioned once with a key change.
The minor key shifted to a major key, evoking bright and lively emotions.
Several dramatic changes occurred within a short piece that lasted less than two minutes.
“Wow.”
As soon as the performance ended, the princess clapped with delight.
Unlike the audience in the square, she didn’t twist and turn her body or shout in excitement, but she seemed more than satisfied.
“I wonder if I’m worthy of writing a recommendation. Such beautiful music…”
“That’s far from the truth.”
Though I said that, I could tell she was genuinely pleased.
After securing her promise, we left the manor together.
A guard suddenly appeared from behind the door.
I was startled.
Had he been hiding and waiting this whole time?
Well, it wouldn’t make sense for the princess to roam the night streets alone.
“It was an honour to meet you.”
“By the way, don’t forget that my name is Ellis!”
I responded with a slightly awkward smile.
The princess walked gracefully towards the front gate, quickly glanced around, and then suddenly dashed off at full speed.
The guard followed closely behind her.
‘What the…’
This is confusing.
The world of royalty is truly hard to understand.
After that, several other lords visited with their children. Before I knew it, it was already dawn.
Do these nobles not sleep?
Among them, there was even a baron who, dissatisfied with just sheet music or an autograph, tried to leave his daughter at the manor.
“Please raise her well!”
“What a madman.”
After telling Theo to turn away all future visitors, I went back to my room to rest.
***
“Hmm.”
I showed the sheet music to Edward.
In addition to Schubert’s piece, I added a few more easy ones like Grieg’s Arietta and Dvořák’s Humoresque.
**T/n: Grieg’s Arietta and Dvořák’s Humoresque are famous piano pieces composed by renowned composers Edvard Grieg and Antonín Dvořák, respectively.**
“If we switch to cheaper paper, production shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Let’s start printing right away!”
“I’ll leave a message with the workshop I’m familiar with. But, young master…”
“Yes?”
“Will this really sell?”
Edward’s expression darkened as he voiced his concern.
“Most of the sheet music sold in the capital are works by Sir Victor Kosolin. He has quite a following.”
“Is he still active these days?”
“His sheet music remains popular. He has a strong grip on the market.”
“It’ll be fine.”
The reason Victor Kosolin has a monopoly on the sheet music market?
It’s simply because I haven’t stepped in yet.
I feel a bit sorry for him, but the rule of brand value holds true even in another world.
It’s only natural that the better product sells more.
And as for who has the better product, there’s no need to say.
Besides, I still have a trump card up my sleeve.
A weapon that could perhaps stir even greater waves than the quality of the sheet music.
“Please deliver this along with the sheet music to the head of the workshop.”
“What is this?”
“It’s a letter of recommendation from the Royal Family.”
“Excuse me?”
“Written personally by the Crown Princess herself.”
“Pardon?”
I earnestly asked Edward, who repeated himself out of disbelief.
“Please make sure to deliver it.”
“…Of course.”
One more thing.
“I’d like to suspend the recitals until the Departure Ceremony.”
“That would be difficult.”
“Yes, I figured.”
Even this morning, I was sweating from turning away visitors who came to the manor.
If I stop holding recitals, a protest might form right in front of my house.
But holding concerts every day would leave no time for practice.
To prepare for the long term, I need to pause and build up my skills.
“So, I have an idea.”
Soon, the sheet music I created will be released to the world.
Now is the perfect time.
“How about holding a competition?”
It would be called the Anton Tilburg Competition.
What’s the biggest motivator for growth?
Rivals.
At least that was the case for me.
I learned and practiced harder because I wanted to be praised before my friends.
Who would be the first to master *Czerny 40? That stubborn competitiveness fuelled my improvement.
**T/n: Czerny 40 refers to a set of 40 piano exercises composed by Carl Czerny titled “40 Daily Exercises,” Op. 337. This collection is designed to develop and refine various technical aspects of piano playing, including finger agility, strength, dexterity, and speed.**
A competition is a place to discover talent.
Now that I’ve distributed proper sheet music, there’s a good chance that hidden talents will emerge.
Of course, I intend to give plenty of time for practice.
My goal is simple.
“If we find talented individuals…”
By sharing our knowledge and techniques, we can improve our skills much faster.
It’s an event that benefits everyone.
Aspiring performers need a mentor to guide them, and I need competitors.
Competitors who will ignite the flames of growth within me!
In any case.
“That sounds good. It should keep the nobles entertained while there are no recitals.”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
“Let’s schedule it to coincide with the release date of the sheet music.”
“I’m counting on you.”
And thus, preparations for the competition began.
—
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