Chapter 4
“…What is all this?”
“Letters from the capital, sir.”
“Letters?”
Prince Luhan Flovitz tilted his head.
“For me?”
“I will investigate further and report back, Your Highness.”
The apprentice servant who delivered the letters was just as confused. Why would someone send fan letters to him? He hadn’t done any public activities. Why would anyone send such letters?
As Luhan inspected the envelope adorned with extravagant patterns and decorations, he let out a weary sigh. There was a bizarre sentence written on the envelope’s surface.
“My soul! My flame! Dearest performer!”
“What… is this?”
And that wasn’t all. Similar phrases were written on every letter.
The content was even more absurd.
“After listening to Your Highness’s music, my cancer has been cured!”
Finally, Luhan began to understand the situation. At first, he thought the sender had simply made a mistake in the address. But there were too many letters for them all to have been delivered wrongly, especially to the imperial palace.
“I need to meet Ainz.”
He dismissed the apprentice servant and called for his guard.
“What is the matter, Your Highness?”
“It seems there’s someone in the capital impersonating me.”
“Impersonating you, Your Highness?”
“Such nerve! Hunt them down and bring them to me, alive.”
Who in their right mind would dare impersonate the prince? Ainz had seen many criminals in his time, but this was unprecedented in its audacity.
“It appears to be some sort of performer. Go to the theatre and make inquiries. Use my carriage for the journey.”
As Ainz turned to leave, a dangerous glint appeared in his eyes. They had severely underestimated the situation.
***
A little further away from Luhan’s chambers, in the garden…
“Hehe.”
The imperial princesses were spending their afternoon outside.
“Hmmm… Hehe.”
“Something good must have happened, hasn’t it?”
Though she spoke, the younger sister couldn’t hide her concern. Ever since yesterday, her older sister Elize had been acting strangely. She had been smiling to herself, staring into space for no apparent reason. And just now, despite the cold, she had insisted on watching the moon outside as the sun was setting.
Elize, the crown princess who would one day inherit the throne, was behaving in a most unprincess-like manner. Though it was not proper, she looked almost…mad.
‘When did she start acting this way?’
It all started after she attended that performance in the capital. Despite warnings to be cautious, Elize had disguised herself as a lady from a neighbouring estate and infiltrated the theatre.
‘What on earth did she see?’
To have affected her this much, could it have been some kind of religiously questionable performance?
“That person is truly amazing. Could they be an angel sent from the heavens? It must be. I’ve never heard such beautiful melodies before.”
Therese, the second princess, grew more and more concerned as she watched her older sister talking to herself.
“You haven’t heard the rumours yet, have you?”
She wasn’t entirely sure, but she decided to give her sister a heads-up for her own sake. Recently, there had been a rumour spreading in the capital.
“There’s a rumour that the newcomer performer debuting at Lunemoon Theatre is actually our brother Luhan.”
“No way!”
Elize slammed the table and glared at her with wide, rabbit-like eyes. The atmosphere suddenly shifted.
“Luhan? That muscle-brained idiot who knows nothing about music? How dare you compare him to such a divine performer?”
“That’s a bit harsh. What if someone hears you?”
After venting her anger, Elize immediately went back to smiling at nothing, as if nothing had happened. Therese had hoped to shake her sister out of her delusions, but it only made things worse.
It’s not as if Therese couldn’t understand Elize’s reaction. Their brother Luhan had never shown any interest or talent in music. He was more suited for hunting or battle.
‘It did seem like a wild rumour.’
She had hoped that hearing the rumour would bring her sister back to her senses. After all, there had always been an unspoken rivalry between them. Siblings are often like that. But instead, it had the opposite effect.
“This won’t do! I must invite the performer to the palace!”
As Elize stood up from her seat, Therese shook her head instinctively.
***
After the second performance ended in great success, there was only one more show left. To prevent any unexpected intrusions, security had been tightened. Count Haverland had personally selected private guards, and Anton continued to move around with his face concealed by a hooded robe.
Regardless, the response to Debussy’s masterpiece, Clair de Lune, was nothing short of extraordinary. Among the nobles in the capital, there was even talk of a new phenomenon known as “Moonlight Syndrome.” Apparently, many people had started gazing nostalgically at the dim moonlight, filled with a deep sense of longing.
*T/n: Clair de lune” (French for “Moonlight”) is a poem written by French poet Paul Verlaine in 1869. It is the inspiration for the third and most famous movement of Claude Debussy’s 1890 Suite bergamasque*
Some nobles, so engrossed in their feelings, were neglecting their duties, choosing instead to sit on their terraces and stare at the sky all day.
But that wasn’t the only troubling thing.
“This is a problem.”
As he was preparing for the next performance, Edward, the theatre manager, approached Anton.
“Everyone is misunderstanding who you are.”
“…I know.”
A small lie can snowball into a bigger one. Anton hadn’t anticipated it would go this far. To avoid attention, he had hidden his identity, but that had only increased the public’s curiosity.
He could deal with some rumours, but once the royal family got involved, things would get complicated. This wasn’t just a step too far; it had skipped multiple steps.
“Even when we posted pamphlets, nobody believed them.”
“These crazy nobles.”
“Hahaha.”
To calm the situation, Edward had made a public statement just before the recital. Under his name as the theatre manager, he declared that there was no connection between the performer and the Royal Family.
But before anyone had a chance to act, the rumour had already spread like wildfire.
“Who’s putting up these posters?”
“Edward, there’s something weird posted outside the theatre!”
One thing became clear: people don’t believe the truth. They believe what they want to believe.
Even if it wasn’t Anton’s intention, once things spiralled to this degree, punishment became inevitable. Offending the royal family is a crime in itself.
In this other world, there are only two punishments for criminals: Death or a Life of Crippling Disability.
If they hadn’t distributed those flyers ahead of time to create an exit strategy, things would have gotten much more complicated. Still, there’s always a chance something might go wrong, so I need to think of a way out.
“I’ll need to halt the recitals after tonight,” I said.
“That seems like the best course of action,” Edward agreed.
It would be wise to lay low until the rumours died down. How had things escalated this far? It was a mistake to underestimate the Nobles Obsession with gossip.
There was one thing I wanted to ask.
“Has the funding been cut off?”
I was worried because of what Lea had mentioned yesterday. The theatre runs on noble support, and if we lost their backing, it would cause problems with the performances.
“Cut off? No, quite the opposite. In fact, we’ve been seeing more profit than usual.”
“…Is that so?”
“Thanks to the popularity of your performances, we’ve received donations not just from the capital but from lords in the provinces as well. We’ve already made several months’ Worth of Profit.”
“That’s good news.”
It truly was. I might even be able to use that profit to pay off the debt to Count Haverland soon. It was a relief to know that the world still had plenty of people who loved music purely for its own sake.
“Well then, please give it your all in tonight’s performance,” said Edward.
“Thank you.”
I left Edward behind and stepped onto the stage. From behind the curtain, I could already hear the murmurs of a packed audience.
Since this was the final performance of Clair de Lune, I would give it everything I had. I placed my hands on the keys and waited for the curtain to rise.
“Are you the performer?”
A voice called out to me.
Edward? No. This voice was deeper, more menacing.
If it wasn’t Edward, who could it be?
My father and Count Haverland were outside the theatre with the guards. And they knew my name, so they wouldn’t be trying to make me guess.
“Come with me,” the voice commanded.
I turned my head and saw a hulking man glaring at me.
‘This soon?’
The crest engraved on his Armor was unmistakable: the Imperial Family’s insignia.
‘It’s finally happening.’
It was obvious why the royal family would be looking for me. I’d been exposed much faster than I had expected. All my efforts to hide my identity had been in vain.
I had to stay calm in situations like this.
“Can I at least finish my performance?” I asked.
“Planning to escape?”
“Of course not.”
“The prince is waiting for you.”
Damn. No chance for delay, then. Looking past the man, I saw Edward frantically pacing, unsure of what to do. Even he couldn’t chase away a knight of the Royal Guard. Edward could handle high-ranking nobles, but going up against someone from the prince’s personal guard was a different story.
Defying the knight would be like defying the prince himself.
I couldn’t blame Edward for this. I had underestimated the power dynamics of this world’s strict class system.
‘To think they would come to the theatre in person.’
They must have already finished their investigation. There was no escape now; I was a mouse trapped in a jar.
The man spoke again.
“They say you impersonated His Highness with no shame. The only reason you’re not dead is because of the prince’s mercy. You’d do well to come quietly.”
I never did that, though.
Damn these nobles.
“I understand,” I said, descending from the stage.
Resisting any further would only make things worse. I needed to face the prince and explain everything.
There’s more than enough evidence to prove my innocence. I feel bad for the audience, but I’m sure Edward will calm them down.
I followed the man out the back door.
“…What happened here?”
The soldiers were lying sprawled on the ground, and two figures sat crouched nearby in despair—my father and Count Haverland.
“I’m sorry, Anton. We couldn’t stop them.”
“It’s fine. Just say a prayer for me.”
After a short farewell, I followed the man down the alley. A carriage was waiting.
“…Am I really allowed to ride in this carriage?”
“Quiet.”
I wasn’t planning to escape; I just felt overwhelmed. The carriage wheels were so spotless they shone, and the exterior was adorned with lavish decorations. The inside was even more luxurious—a plush red leather seat. This was the royal carriage, wasn’t it?
I sat carefully and stared straight ahead. The man climbed in after me, his eyes wide open as he watched me.
“Could you look somewhere else?”
“Quiet.”
After an awkward ride, we finally arrived at the Imperial Palace.
***
“Due to unforeseen circumstances, tonight’s performance has been cancelled.”
“What!”
“Edward! You didn’t mention this!”
“What is this? Are you saying we won’t hear the music?”
Right after Anton was taken by the Royal Guard, Edward stepped onto the stage to explain. He gave a vague excuse, as he couldn’t reveal the true reason. The nobles were furious, jeering loudly.
But it didn’t last long. With no performance to wait for, they began to leave one by one.
“I waited so long for this!”
Of course, not without some parting complaints.
The angriest was a young lady sitting in the front row—Lea Dressel. She had been so captivated by the first performance that she returned to the theatre today. She had even waited since dawn after hearing that early lines meant early entrance.
Just yesterday, her maid gave her some intriguing information.
“A large ship inside a circle.”
That was the emblem of Count Haverland’s estate.
But something didn’t add up.
“But, Miss, Count Haverland doesn’t have a son.”
“…Really?”
Although she wanted to hear the performance up close again, she was also curious about the performer’s identity.
‘Who could it be?’
It wasn’t possible that the count himself took to the stage. According to her source, Count Haverland had quite a hefty frame. The man on stage did not. She was sure she would find some clues by watching the performance again.
But now…
“What do you mean the performance is cancelled!”
She shot up from her seat, brimming with rage, but her anger was soon interrupted by a commotion outside.
“It’s the Royal Carriage!”
“Really?”
“What!”
Startled, Lea dashed out of the theatre. A carriage adorned with golden decorations was calmly moving down the street. She recognized it immediately. She had seen that carriage before when she went to greet Prince Luhan Flovitz.
“…So the rumours were true?”
A chill ran down her spine, and her body weakened.
Meanwhile, the nobles at the entrance of the theatre were busy exchanging their shock and surprise.
“So the performer really was the prince!”
“But why did he cancel the concert?”
“You idiot! It must be because of urgent Royal matters!”
“Of course! The well-being of the empire is more important than a concert!”
Listening to their chatter, Lea’s face grew darker.
‘So the carriage of Count Haverland was just a cover?’
I didn’t know.
What had I said to him?
Surely, I didn’t speak too rudely, did I?
And… could he have noticed that I investigated him?
Gulp.
“The lady has fainted!”
—
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