FYERIL - Chapter 4 < The Aria of The Concubine (2) >

“... A melody? What’s the fuss about?”

Edward asked, pretending to be indifferent.

However, the lustful light that passed through his eyes was clear for a moment.

“Hmm, it’s not like it’s anything special. What goes in must indeed come out, but you’ve learned nothing about music.”

A story that was piercing into my ears.

In the past, whenever I heard something like this, I would feel ashamed of my own ignorance. Because no matter how much I studied harmony, which I had started learning late, I couldn’t finish it.

I didn’t even know that Edward had given me books with errors on purpose as textbooks.

“That’s right. Compared to my brother who graduated at the top of the class at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, I’m no different from an ignorant person.”

I nodded with a smile, and Edward raised an eyebrow.

“You’re really good at understanding the subject. Well, that’s your only strong point.”

“But when you mention art school, I recently heard something strange.”

I said, furrowing my brow.

“The Prince of the Ende Kingdom is your classmate, right?”

“...What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“But there’s a rumor going around that the top graduate of that class was the Prince. It seems like the Prince himself is spreading that nonsense...”

I muttered seriously and looked at Edward with serious eyes.

“The Prince is in the capital city for the upcoming ‘National Foundation Day’. When we meet, I’ll have to ask him, even if it means being rude. Please don’t tarnish my brother’s reputation with false stories.” 

“What kind of nonsense is that!” 

Edward shouted in a hurry and cleared his throat.

“What are you talking about, a girl who doesn’t even know anything! There’s not just one person who graduates at the top of the class. We pick the best students in each subject and call them all top graduates! Don’t bother the Prince when you don’t know anything!”

 “Ah... Then, you were top in one subject, not all subjects?” 

I opened my eyes wide as if I finally understood. Edward turned his back, his face wrinkled in annoyance. 

“Yeah, that’s right. Let’s stop talking nonsense-.” 

“Oh, now that I think about it, I think I saw a trophy in the corner of the storage room. The words engraved on it were the name of a subject. What was it?” 

I tilted my head and said. 

“‘How to Become a Wise Wife and Mother’??”

 “That can’t be true!”

 Edward turned around and shouted. I swallowed the laughter in my throat. Edward, who boasted about graduating from the art academy at the top of his class, had actually only managed to get top honors in one liberal arts subject. And that subject was on the verge of being shut down because there weren’t enough students. 

In the Kingdom of Ende, which was much more progressive than the Empire, it was rare for a student to want to become a ‘Wise Wife and Mother.’ 

In my previous life, I had accidentally found out about this while organizing the warehouse and kept it a secret. I thought that if the reputation of Edward Lopez, the descendant of the music master, was tarnished, it would be tantamount to tarnishing my maternal grandfather’s reputation. 

“What kind of nonsense are you talking about! Why are you taking such a subject?”

 “Oh, I’m sorry.” 

I covered my mouth with my hand as if I was surprised at Edward’s shouting. 

“I must have seen it wrong.” 

“Of course, you saw it wrong! Why on earth would you crawl into the warehouse when you’re not even a mouse? You’re a maid? Didn’t I tell you not to act like you’re uneducated?” 

“I was wrong, brother.” 

When I obediently lowered my head, Edward clenched his fist and shook it, but he couldn’t do anything else. 

“Damn it!”

Edward, unable to control his anger, exhaled roughly and looked back again. I followed Edward’s back, who was walking ahead in a fit of anger. Soon, two steps reached the lobby. 

“Brother, can I play over there today?” 

I pointed to the grand piano next to the large window in the lobby. Edward immediately narrowed his eyes. 

“What?” 

Edward had never allowed me to play in the lobby when we were giving ‘lessons’. 

He probably didn’t want anyone to see me playing. 

“Stop talking nonsense and come here. The piano in the lobby is precious and delicate, and you have to tell me that you’ll break it if you touch it carelessly?” 

“I’m sorry, brother.” 

I bit my lip in embarrassment. 

“But I’m strangely depressed today... I feel like I’ll lose my inspiration if I don’t get some sunlight.” 

"What the hell is inspiration!”

When Edward got angry, I furrowed my eyebrows gloomily.

“Do you think you’re a great artist? Are you suddenly suffering from some kind of artistic disease?”

If it were normal, he would have dragged me to his studio in anger, but Edward couldn’t take any action because I said that my inspiration might disappear.

I lowered my head and faintly raised the corners of my lips.

“You must be nervous.”

The opera for the feast of St. Verdict. I remembered this time five years ago.

Edward had decided to fill this rather large-scale opera with only his own compositions.

However, he hadn’t come up with a proper idea until just a month before the performance and ended up stealing my music.

So Edward absolutely needed the music I created.

“Damn it, play it quickly. Let’s hear how great an inspiration you are!”

Edward gestured at the piano irritably. I thanked him gently and sat down at the piano.

When I placed my hands on the keyboard, a cool sensation seeped into my fingertips.

I took a deep breath.

'What kind of music was I doing around this time?'

Ariana Lopez, twenty years old.

I was timid and had no confidence, and my presence was faint like a ghost.

Of course, I hadn't changed much until just before I died, but there was something that had definitely changed over the past five years.

'Memories.'

Memories of secretly rejoicing while stealing glances at the audience enthusiastically listening to my music.

Memories of realizing that perhaps I, not Edward, could be complete with just the music I made.

Those memories slowly, little by little, piled up on top of my self-esteem.

"..."

I closed my eyes, skimming over the keyboard. A refreshing sound echoed in the quiet lobby.

Soon, the notes began to dance in groups.

And little by little, faster, accelerando.

The passion and resentment I wanted to vent were contained in the flat.

Allegro, increasing the speed even more, presto. And finally, amid the overwhelming sound, I let go of the oars and let the current take me.

Prettissimo. As I poured my heart out on the notes at a maddening pace, a sense of liberation soaked my heart.

And then, when my fingers were tingling and my breathing was getting faster.

“...Haa.”

I stopped playing.

“...”

Silence suddenly fell in the lobby where the music had stopped.

I opened my eyes, gasping for breath.

A strange sense of elation and fulfillment.

This feeling always came over me when the improvisations I had poured out haphazardly matched my soul and wavelength.

It gripped me so tightly that I couldn’t take a single step without savoring it all.

“Huh...”

A bewildered voice came from behind me.

I slowly turned around.

Edward’s eyes were wide open. It was as if someone had hit him hard on the back of the head.

Those large eyes were filled with dark and sticky emotions.

Shock, surprise. And... intense jealousy.

‘How strange, brother.’

I thought quietly.

Was it because I had witnessed the lowly depths of my brother in exchange for my death?

Edward’s inner thoughts were as clear as the palm of my hand.

Edward stammered and opened his mouth.

“Really...”

The same comment that would automatically flow out like a wind-up doll after hearing my performance came out of his mouth again.

“Oh, ahem, really. Great! It wasn't really bad-.”

Clap, clap, clap.

At that moment, a rousing round of applause was heard.

“Wow, wow...!”

A dazed voice exclaimed.

Sophie was clapping her hands with a moved face.

“Miss Ariana, you were so wonderful. Oh my, that was the best performance!”

Starting with Sophie, the servants who were wandering around here and there began to clap their hands.

The applause that started out of nowhere spread like a wave.

I blinked slowly and soon found a familiar face.

“Oh my God, Ari, you.”

It was Lucas, standing there with his mouth open.

Lucas’ shirt was covered in leaves as if he had been working in the bushes. His pants were also strangely disheveled.

Lucas shamelessly put his arms around my neck. I got goosebumps all over my body.

“By the way, what was that performance just now? Since when have you been playing so well? What’s the title of the piece?”

“It’s an impromptu.”

I said, smiling broadly.

“An impromptu? Oh my God, that?”

I felt Edward holding onto the piano stool behind me tightly.

“Uh, uh. I heard it well, Ariana. It looks like you got inspired by the music I was composing yesterday. And it started in a minor key, didn’t you?”

Edward forced a smile, pointing out something too embarrassing to even call a commonality.

I didn’t bother to deny it but smiled back.

“That’s how it is. What do you think, brother? If you polish it up, can we have it in the opera for this year’s St. Verdict?”

“Well. Since it’s an impromptu, there are so many sloppy parts that I’ll have to fix it up...”

When Edward coughed loudly, Lucas quickly intervened.

“Count Lopez’s arrangement skills are beyond compare. Let’s have it in the opera!”

“I, uh, yes. Then let’s proceed, Marquis.”

“That’s fortunate.”

I smiled.

“I thought that it was a range that would suit Elena’s voice perfectly.”

As I said that, I looked back at Elena, who had followed Lucas in.

Elena had a frown on her face as if she was pouting.

Perhaps she didn’t like all the attention focused on me.

Suddenly, Elena’s expression changed as she flinched.

“Huh? Me?... Well, is that so?”

Then she pouted and muttered.

“I, um, I don’t know, Sister. I think my range is a little low to show off my skills.”

“Really? That’s too bad. I just happened to think of a perfect title for this song.”

“What’s that, Ari?”

Lucas said with his friendly eyes shining.

Lucas, who had an incredible sense of smell for money, would temporarily treat me like this when I produced a high-quality song.

That stopped after I got married, but now I’m still a fish that hasn’t been completely caught by him.

“...What is it?”

When Lucas came out like that, Elena also asked in a reluctant voice.

“Yeah, what is it?”

I smiled brightly as I looked at her who would become the prima soprano of this opera.

“It’s the ‘Adulteress’s Aria’.”

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