It was time to focus on my main job, which I had neglected for a while while faithfully fulfilling my role as a Duchess.
"Even if I have to sacrifice my soul, I will definitely raise the national prestige."
Since I had made such a grand pledge in front of the Emperor, I had to produce a fitting result. As soon as my serious answer came out, Sophie quickly nodded.
"I see. Then how long do you think it will take? You will be finished before dinner, right?"
"Well. Three hours at the earliest..."
"Oh, that should be enough for dinner-."
"A thousand hours at the longest?"
"...Yes?"
I gave Sophie an ambiguous smile as she gaped. There were about two months left until the National Foundation Day. I had to pour all that time into creating a masterpiece. The National Foundation Day was the stage, where my orchestra would gain great fame, but it was also the execution ground where Edward would be overthrown.
That alone was enough reason to burn with enthusiasm. But more than anything...
"I will allow you to perform the last performance. I look forward to it! The granddaughter of a great general will give me the emotion that transcends time."
I bit my lips as I recalled the Emperor's words. Since my grandfather's name was involved, I could never do anything carelessly.
"Are the Duchess still in the bedroom?"
"Yes. Since last night."
"Since last night? Oh my, so she hasn't slept at all?"
"I think so."
Sophie bit her lip as she listened to the conversation of the servants in the ducal palace.
'Surely... You weren't serious for a thousand hours, were you?'
Ariana had been focusing solely on composing since yesterday, to the point where Sophie was resentful of herself for having laughed it off as a joke.
"Oh, Sophie."
"Oh, hello."
Sophie awkwardly greeted the servants who recognized her. Among them, a servant named Linda spoke hesitantly.
"Um, Sophie. Her Highness doesn't keep her distance from you and is easy on you."
Linda's voice revealed an unconcealed sense of disappointment as she spoke. It had been about two months since Ariana entered the mansion as Dante's fiancée. At first, the servants were shocked to hear that Dante was bringing a fiancée instead of a lover. The Dante they had seen had no interest in serious relationships with women.
Contrary to the rumors that he brought female singers into his bedroom every day, the servants had never seen a woman get up from Dante's bed. What kind of woman would such a master bring? The servants' expectations were sky-high, and the fiancée they finally met was...
'She was beyond my imagination.'
Linda suddenly recalled the moment she first met Ariana. Ariana had an elegant and calm aura that made it hard to believe she was twenty years old. Her fresh beauty and deep eyes always seemed to be thinking of something. Her manners were perfect, just like those of royalty. On top of that, because of her cold appearance when she kept her mouth shut, Linda was extremely nervous. However, the very next day, all of Linda's prejudices were shattered.
"I'm, I'm sorry, Miss...!"
On the day she visited Ariana to give her breakfast, she spilled sauce on the bolero she was wearing. Linda didn't know what to do as she looked at the cream-colored bolero stained with thick gravy sauce. How could she ruin such an expensive-looking dress!
Since it was the day after Ariana came, she could have been even more angry, thinking that the servant was being presumptuous. However, Ariana's reaction was shockingly plain.
"Oh. It doesn't matter. It's something that will soon go out of style anyway."
Ariana added in a nonchalant tone.
"Just throw it away. It's a simple matter, so there's no need to report it to anyone else."
Despite her plain tone, there was a deep meaning behind it. She meant that she would keep this incident a secret between the two of them so that they wouldn't get in trouble with their superiors.
Furthermore, Ariana's bolero that was thrown away that day really went out of style soon after. The clothing store that had popularized the bolero design had gone out of business due to some kind of scandal.
"She has great foresight. It's as if she saw the future."
Linda fell in love with Ariana's qualities, especially her angelic beauty. However, getting close to Ariana was not easy. Ariana was kind and gentle, but she never let go of the wall she had built around her. As if... she was someone who would soon leave everything behind and disappear.
Feeling a sense of needless impatience, Linda urged Sophie.
"So, why don't you go in and try to persuade the madam? Try persuading her to eat something. Yes?"
Linda's earnest gaze made Sophie make up her mind.
"Yes. Yes."
With determination, Sophie knocked on the door. Fortunately, a voice immediately came back telling her to come in. Sophie, who had stepped inside with a serious look, was startled the next moment.
Boom, boom.
Ariana, who had been tearing up the music sheet, met Sophie's eyes.
"Oh, Sophie. You're here?"
"...Hic."
Sophie covered her mouth with both hands. The area around the sofa where Ariana was buried was already filled with the remains of torn white paper. Above all, Ariana's complexion was shocking.
What on earth Is going on...?
"What's going on, Sophie?"
The gentle smile directed at Sophie was as pretty as ever, but there was a dark shadow hanging under her beautiful emerald eyes.
"What's that in your hand?"
Sophie tightly clenched the newspaper she had brought. She had brought it to show her an interesting article in today's gossip magazine.
Former servants of the Lopez mansion expose Edward Lopez's character!
[Shocked by the revelation that he had been verbally and physically abusing his employees every day...]
It seemed that the employees of the Lopez mansion that had been cut off yesterday had been badmouthing Edward to the newspaper. They had come running to share this fun spectacle with Ariana...
Sophie hid the newspaper behind her back. That didn't seem to be the issue right now.
"What's. wrong, Sophie. Can't you sleep?"
"Huh? Ma'am, what's wrong..."
Sophie stammered with fearful eyes.
"Ma'am, it's morning now? I just woke up from a deep sleep."
"Huh?"
Ariana looked out the window with bewildered eyes and opened her mouth slightly. Sophie was shocked at the sight.
"Didn't you even know that morning had come? Ma'am! You didn't get any sleep?"
"Hmm... It's already this late."
Ariana smiled awkwardly.
"I was worried because I didn't like everything that came to mind. Oh, you're here at the right time, Sophie. Would you like to hear a note that just occurred to you?"
"Yes? Oh, yes. Of course!"
Could I, a music novice, really be of any help?
Sophie was flustered, but couldn't say anything as she watched Ariana quickly approach the piano.
"Yes, listen."
Ariana began to play the keys as she said that. Sophie slowly opened her mouth at the melody that began in a clear G key.
"Oh my. It's beautiful..."
Would this be the sound that a baby angel in heaven would make when he played the harp? Sophie was shocked by the sacred and splendid performance.
"Really?"
Ariana said, narrowing her beautiful forehead.
"Then, would you like to hear this too?"
Sophie's mouth opened even wider at the music that followed.
"Oh my. This one seems more beautiful!"
No, to be exact, they were both so good that she couldn't tell which was better. However, Ariana's expression became serious after hearing the answer.
"So you're saying that they're both just okay."
"Huh?! That's not what I meant!"
"Both are good, which means it doesn't matter which one."
"Huh?"
Sophie opened her mouth in embarrassment.
'Both are good' and 'I don't care which one'.
At first glance, they sound similar, but the nuances are completely different.
"But I'm serious! I'm serious about both!"
Sophie shouted desperately. It was the first time she had felt so resentful of her limited vocabulary. However, Ariana seemed to be already not listening to Sophie. She stroked the keyboard and muttered quietly.
"This isn't enough."
'It has to be music that is so strong that you feel it has to be this the moment you hear it.'
It has to be that Impressive. Being the last in line was definitely a good condition. It could leave the most vivid impression. However, if she presented something similar to the previous music, it would likely be boring.
'It can't just be beautiful. It had to be special and unique.'
Therefore, it had to be music that could send ripples through the hearts of the listeners. Her grandfather would have done the same.
'There must be a breakthrough somewhere...'
Her heart tightened in frustration as if she had taken the wrong path from the start. Ariana's face, fiddling with the piano keys, became gloomy. Sophie's heart ached as she watched her.
'Is that... that? The agony of an artist, something like that?'
Sophie doesn't know much about it, but she heard that artists have such troubles. Thinking about it that way, Ariana's pensive appearance seemed even more impressive. This was an area that Sophie could not solve at all.
Sophie bit her lip in regret. Ariana should have been happier than anyone else, having become a Duchess and having lost her former fiancé who had betrayed her.
'Even His Highness the Duke can't do anything about this, right?'
Ariana would often ask seriously if she knew that Dante and her were bound by a contract, but Sophie didn't think so.
'There must be something in His Highness's eyes as he looks at Madame...'
As evidence, Dante only smiled when he looked at Ariana. When he looked at other people, he would give off a cool chill or smile, which would be closer to mocking, but he only smiled genuinely when he looked at Ariana.
When he smiled, his eyes sparkling with fun and excitement, his usually handsome face looked twice as handsome. It was like watching a plaster statue carved with the golden rule come to life. Well, they say art is a lonely task.
No matter how much His Highness cares for our young lady, he can't help her in that state.
Sophie thought as she absentmindedly turned her gaze out the window, and after a moment, her eyes widened.
"Huh? That's..."
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