Chapter 3
“Did you come to see the performance as well?”
“And you, Count? They say this performer’s music is so outstanding that anyone who doesn’t hear it has no right to have ears.”
“Hahaha!”
At the entrance of the capital’s theatre, two nobles were conversing.
They were not the only ones.
From nearby estates to distant provinces, nobles of all kinds had gathered, filling the streets with a crowd.
Among them were local officials who had come all the way from the southern regions in carriages.
“If this goes on, we might not even get in!”
“No way! I’ve travelled for two days and nights!”
When they arrived at the theatre, a long line had already formed.
It was customary for nobles to send letters to the theatre in advance to reserve their seats for a recital.
But today was different.
“You expect me to wait outside? Do you know who I am?”
“I’m sorry, but at the request of the performer, today’s performance is first-come, first-served.”
“Who is this performer?”
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that.”
Hearing the theatre owner’s words, the Elderly Duke, who had been fuming with anger moments before, suddenly calmed down.
‘Could it be?’
His eyes darted from side to side.
A performer who hides their identity.
Other than the fact that their skills were exceptional, nothing was known about them, not even their name.
‘Is it really His Highness the Prince…? No, that’s just a rumour.’
The idea of first-come, first-served seating was unthinkable, so his suspicion only deepened.
Who could possibly have the power to make even the most prominent nobles stand in the street?
‘It has to be a member of the Royal Family.’
Of course, it was just a misunderstanding.
***
Not long ago, I learned something new from the theatre owner.
He had been a patron of the arts for many years, but the way he ran the theatre was rather unique.
He would first contact close noble patrons and assign them the best seats.
These close nobles were those who had donated the most to the theatre.
But of course, the theatre could only accommodate so many people.
Once these nobles took their seats, there was no room left for others.
As a result, the same people, the same nobles, always attended the performances.
Those who had seen the performance once would come again, and families that weren’t on good terms with the theatre owner might wait a lifetime and still never get a chance to see a show.
‘This doesn’t align with my intention to spread classical music in this world.’
More people need to listen, share their thoughts, and engage in music.
So I decided to implement an unprecedented system.
First-come, first-served.
Regardless of their rank or status, those who arrived first would be allowed to enter.
As expected, there was a lot of backlash.
If the theatre holds 200 people, the crowd gathered outside easily numbered twice that.
‘Are there really this many nobles in the empire?’
The concept of “first-come, first-served” was already an insult to their pride, and if we turned them away for being late, there could be a riot.
Some might even stop donating to the theatre altogether, causing financial losses.
In the end, I had to come up with an alternative plan.
I went to the theatre owner to share my idea.
Edward Findel, the manager of the capital’s theatre, “Lunemoon.”
“People seem to have many complaints about the seating system,” I said.
He let out a hollow laugh.
“It’s fine. I agree with your philosophy, young master.”
Though he said this, his face was filled with concern, clearly troubled by the situation.
“How is the theatre’s schedule looking?” I asked.
“Sir Kosolin’s recital is scheduled in three days. Other than that, there’s nothing planned.”
Good.
In that case, I could make good use of the free time.
“Could we add two more performances before then?”
“You mean to hold three consecutive recitals?”
“I can’t just send away all the people who travelled from far away.”
“The theatre would be delighted! But aren’t you worried about overexerting yourself?”
Even though he was dealing with a young boy, over 30 years his junior, Edward, in typical noble fashion, continued to address me with formal respect.
I waved him off humbly.
“No need to worry about me.”
Incidentally, Edward is one of the four people in this world who know my true identity.
It’s hard to hide your identity from the owner of the theatre where you’ll be performing.
The other three are my father, Count Haverland, and Theo, the butler.
I’m not worried that any of them will betray me.
Anyway.
“Then let’s proceed as planned.”
“Thank you.”
***
Edward stepped out in front of the theatre and shouted loudly,
“The performance will continue for the next three days! If you missed today’s, you’ll have another chance tomorrow and the day after!”
The people further back in line cheered when they heard this.
“Yes! That’s more like it!”
“I almost left without seeing anything.”
The entrance finally opened, and the audience began to file in.
A girl assigned to the farthest seat, where she could only see the stage from the side, crossed her arms with a disgruntled expression.
“Isn’t there a better seat?”
“You heard them, Lea. It’s first-come, first-served. We have no choice.”
Lea Dressel and her father, Duke Edelro Dressel, had to follow the theatre’s rules, even though they were among the highest-ranking nobles in attendance.
No matter how much they had sponsored the theatre, there were no exceptions today.
Edelro seemed satisfied with the new system, but his daughter had a different opinion.
“This better be good.”
Lea glared at the stage with a determined expression.
It was her first time coming to see a performer other than Victor Kosolin.
But she couldn’t ignore the growing buzz.
The young ladies she socialized with from other estates had already attended the previous performance, and they couldn’t stop talking about the “mysterious” performer.
No matter how much she insisted Victor Kosolin was the best, they wouldn’t listen.
Eventually, they even started having conversations without her.
For the daughter of a duke to be excluded from social conversations? That was unacceptable.
At the same time, her curiosity was piqued.
“How great must they be to cause such a fuss?”
Just as her curiosity turned to anticipation, the curtains lifted.
***
The curtain rose to reveal a thin veil.
The piano and the performer on stage were not clearly visible.
In fact, they were only faint silhouettes.
The audience held their breath.
Then, the keys began to move gently.
“Huh…!”
“Oh…”
Though everyone knew it was impolite to make noise during a performance, some in the audience couldn’t suppress their emotions.
The sound was clear and pure, like raindrops falling on the surface of a lake—gentle, yet vivid.
It was as if a single star had twinkled on a blank canvas, slowly spreading its light.
Before long, everyone was completely captivated by the elegant melody.
“What is this…?”
Lea’s lips parted in astonishment.
Forgetting her status, she stared blankly at the stage.
Her fingers trembled uncontrollably.
This was a feeling she had never experienced, not even when listening to her idol, Victor Kosolin.
Each note was simple, yet precise.
Like a quiet nighttime landscape, the gentle music gradually transformed into a richer, more complex sound.
Yet, the delicate dynamics and nuanced expressions remained perfectly controlled.
Though they were only listening to music, the audience could almost picture the scenes it evoked, leaving them with a deep impression.
And then, finally, the seemingly endless melody faded, casting a moonlit glow over the audience.
It was as if a magical spell had been woven.
Anton lifted his hands from the keys, ending the performance.
A moment of silence followed.
The audience, as if in a daze, glanced around at each other before an eruption of applause and standing ovations filled the theatre.
“Bravo!”
“I’ve never heard such perfect music in my life!”
Faces were flushed with excitement, still in awe of the enchanting experience.
Even Duke Dressel stood up.
Lea was on the verge of tears.
But as the daughter of a duke, she couldn’t allow herself to show such an undignified display and barely held back her emotions.
‘Sponsorship! I have to sponsor him!’
If there was one thing nobles enjoyed as much as music, it was patronage.
What greater pleasure could there be than sponsoring a promising musician and showing off one’s refined taste?
Plus, a relationship bound by money only grew stronger.
For the musician, it meant focusing solely on their art without worrying about financials, while for the sponsor, it meant watching their chosen gem grow, like a shareholder watching their stock rise.
Lea wasn’t the only one with those thoughts.
The murmurings of the nobles gathered in the theatre grew louder.
“I must summon Edward immediately. I need to meet this performer right away.”
“Calm down, Count. What if it turns out, like the rumours say… What if it’s truly His Highness the Prince?”
“Eek!”
The problem was, no one knew the performer’s true identity.
Given the circumstances, the performer was either a noble or royalty.
What noble would hide from fame? But if it were royalty, hiding their identity made sense.
The suspicion grew into certainty, and rumours spread throughout the capital that the mysterious new performer at the Lunemoon theatre was none other than the imperial prince, Luhan Flovitz.
What started as idle gossip among noblewomen had gained momentum, with more details being added until the rumours seemed to have a life of their own.
“I heard someone shouted at the theatre manager, demanding answers.”
“They say he’s traveling with the head of a count’s household as his escort.”
Anton, who had been quietly listening to the whispers of the nobles, shook his head.
‘If I get caught, I’m screwed.’
Would they execute me for blasphemy or defaming the Royal Family?
This was the moment Anton truly felt the downside of his mystery persona.
***
“Why not?”
“It’s the performer’s personal request.”
“Personal? But I’m offering sponsorship!”
The theatre had mostly emptied, with only a few people remaining.
Lea Dressel had come to see Edward, demanding a private audience with the performer.
Usually, her requests were never denied, but today Edward was firm.
Could the performer really be the prince after all?
Lea didn’t believe the rumours that the performer was royalty.
She had met the prince up close and remembered him being more robust and much taller. She was sure of it.
But the man behind the silhouette was more slender and graceful.
‘Do they really think I’m so gullible as to fall for such nonsense?’
If the performer wasn’t Royalty, there was no one in the empire who could refuse her.
Yet here she was, being denied a private meeting and her offer of sponsorship.
This was madness.
“Listen, Edward. You know how much money my family donates to this theatre every month, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
“Should I stop it?”
“You’re free to do so.”
“What?!”
Has this girl never grown up?
Her Father, Duke Edelro Dressel, was known for his dignity and refined conduct.
Why was she threatening to cut off funding when it was the duke who managed the donations?
“Let me meet him!”
Lea was spinning her arms wildly in frustration.
Edward looked at her awkwardly and then quickly gestured toward the back door.
‘Now!’
‘Thank you, Edward!’
It was a silent signal.
While Edward distracted Lea, Anton was to slip away.
Anton didn’t waste the opportunity.
Silently, he grabbed the doorknob and slipped out.
Unlike the front entrance, the back door led to a deserted alleyway.
Waiting there were his father and Count Haverland.
“Let’s go quickly.”
“Yes.”
While the Count kept watch, Anton’s father brought the carriage.
Like characters in a heist film, they boarded the carriage with flawless coordination.
“This is starting to get fun. There’s a strange thrill in doing something forbidden.”
“Haha! Indeed!”
As the two nobles shared their light-hearted banter, they headed toward home.
“Gotcha.”
A familiar voice rang out from behind them.
‘Damn it!’
Had Lea escaped Edward already?
“Father, let’s go!”
Without looking back, they sped away.
“No! Stop!”
Lea Dressel’s voice echoed, but they didn’t stop.
Surely, she hadn’t seen their faces, right?
Probably not.
They weren’t close enough for her to recognize his voice.
‘I’ll have to be more careful from now on.’
Should I start wearing a mask?
***
As Lea watched the carriage disappear into the distance, a smirk appeared on her face.
“Interesting.”
In their haste to escape, they hadn’t noticed something.
Lea had seen it clearly.
The emblem on the back of the carriage.
It was unmistakable, a symbol representing an estate.
‘A large ship inside a circle.’
Before she could forget, she burned the image into her memory.
Lea didn’t have detailed knowledge of every noble family in the empire, so figuring it out right away wasn’t possible.
But one thing was certain.
It wasn’t a Royal Crest.
Upon returning to her estate, Lea called for her maid.
“Have you ever seen a crest that looks like this?”
“I’ll need to investigate.”
Now that she had evidence, solving the mystery was only a matter of time.
“I’ll definitely find you. You’ll regret ignoring me today!”
—
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