While Count Horace was struggling with bitterness, shame, and unconcealed emotion, the audience had similar thoughts.
"When I heard the rumor that the opera of the Lopez House was composed by the Duchess, I wondered how it could be true... "
"It must be true. Count Lopez was Jealous of such a talented lady! He has ears to hear!"
Among those who clapped their hands wildly was Madame Evelyn. Evelyn sobbed with emotion as she looked at Ariana, who was perfectly wearing the dress she had made.
'It was truly a perfect performance. Ariana's talent is dazzling!!'
Now she could completely understand why Dante, who had been obsessed with music enough to invite numerous musicians and singers, had fallen in love with Ariana. She knew the story of the two falling in love while comforting Ariana, who was heartbroken by Lucas's infidelity, but something in the middle felt missing...
Now it made perfect sense. With such talent, the Duke couldn't help but be drawn in. With tears in her eyes, Evelyn clapped her hands even harder. Amidst the applause and cheers, Ariana felt a strong sense of unreality.
'Ah...'
People were calling my name, not anyone else's. How strangely overwhelming that feeling was.
'It was here. From the beginning. This was my seat, not backstage.'
I took a deep breath. This moment seemed to be more memorable than when I looked down at Edward, who was swearing. My heart swelled like a balloon with pure, original emotion.
...Joy.
I thought quietly, looking back at the audience who were smiling brightly. The feeling of facing the people who were enjoying my music, not hiding behind me, was overwhelmingly sweet. Maybe even more than revenge.
"After I finish venting my anger about the past..."
Suddenly, a man's voice came to mind.
"You have to realize. Your reality is here. Next to this Dante Heigenberg."
My eyes, which had been grazing the audience, were fixed somewhere. Then suddenly our eyes met. His deep gaze was fixed on me.
"..."
I stared at him without wavering.
'How did you hear it, you?'
Did my music move your heart too?... If so, I would be so happy.
***
The next evening.
"That man..."
"He's Count Lopez."
The moment he entered the club, countless eyes were fixed on Edward. The noblemen who were familiar with Edward openly laughed.
"That's surprising. He still has a face to show off."
"Well, he's always had a lot of tenacity. He kept participating even after losing that card game."
"That's true."
Edward's face turned red and blue amidst the blatant laughter. No islander didn't know about the events that had occurred in the founding of the country. It was thanks to that damned <Empire Morning> that it had told the whole world about the disaster that had befallen Edward. What was even more infuriating was that it wasn't even on the front page. The front page was...
Ariana Heigenberg, captivating the palace!
[The dreamy and beautiful development gave the audience an experience where they forgot the passage of time...]
Ariana Lopez. The face of that evil woman, smiling brightly, was decorated as big as a door on the front page.
'A bitch who deserves to be punished...'
Edward swallowed his humiliation and exhaled roughly. It seemed like he had been struggling in a terrible nightmare since yesterday. That nightmare couldn't be woken up even when the sun rose.
On the contrary, it had only gotten more brutal. This morning, a group of bulky men barged into the Lopez mansion. They said they had come to collect a debt.
Sir Leonard. The man who had lent him a large sum of money, believing in his musical talent, had struck him in the back of the head in one night.
"What kind of mischief is this?! What right do you have to barge into my house?"
Instead of answering, the men thrust a piece of paper at him. The debt contract Edward had made with Leonard. It had a clause stating that if he failed to repay the debt on time, Edward's property could be replaced. Yes. It was definitely a document Edward had signed with his own hand.
At that time, he had thought that there was no way he wouldn't repay. The men barged in and searched the mansion without hesitation. However, no one found anything of value. This was because the royal guards had already visited once. The Emperor had imposed a huge fine on Edward for his misdeeds during the founding of the country. It was shocking news to Edward, who already had a mountain of debt from Leonard.
"If there's nothing worth paying for, we have no choice but to collect it in another way."
As they spoke, the men stared at Edward. Their gazes naturally gave him goosebumps. Human trafficking. Illegal organ harvesting. Such horrifying words tormented Edward. According to the contract, there were no restrictions on how the debt could be repaid. In the end, Edward swallowed his humiliation and bowed his head to the men and asked them.
"Let... let me meet Sir Leonard."
The place the men had guided him to was this. Edward gritted his teeth and looked around. Wherever he turned his head, he met mocking eyes. Soon, Edward found Leonard and bowed his head before him, suppressing his humiliation.
"Sir. Give me one more chance."
"Even if I wanted to, the world wouldn't give it to me anymore."
Leonard shrugged.
"Who would want to appreciate art made by a thief? And who knows where he stole it."
"I didn't steal it!"
Edward cried bitterly.
"...That, that's right. Ariana did draw the base of the score! But that woman-that, that child's harmony was so poor that she needed my help. Without me, those scores would never have been completed! So it's not wrong to say that it's my music!"
"Oh. Haven't you heard from her yet?"
Leonard frowned.
"Lady Ariana has already released the originals of all the songs performed at the Lopez Opera House last night. The originals without the Count's 'touch'."
An uneasy feeling of foreboding came over Edward. Leonard smiled coldly.
"They are much sweeter. The crude and rustic frivolity is gone."
"...How dare you play with your mouth!"
Edward clenched his fists in anger at the blatant insult, but he could do nothing more. Sharp laughter could be heard here and there.
"Huh. Judging by that reaction, I guess you really thought you had a significant influence on Lady Ariana's music?"
"I listened to the originals too, and they were incredible. It's like putting a jewel in a jar... It's amazing how such beautiful music can be ruined with just a few changes."
"If the Count hadn't touched it, the Lopez Opera House would have soared even higher than before."
Each blatant sneer pierced the inferiority complex deep inside Edward. Leonard smiled and drove the wedge in.
"Please repay the money you borrowed by tomorrow. I'm giving you a day off in consideration of your sincerity in coming all the way here."
"..."
"Oh, right. Didn't I warn you before? In exchange for lending you a large sum of money in a hurry, my interest rate is a bit high. Including today's interest, it's a total of 480 million cardinas. If you don't repay the entire amount by tomorrow..."
Leonard glanced at Edward's body.
"Well. There's a way to get it somehow."
Just like the men who had barged into the mansion, his gaze was not on a person but on a piece of meat. Edward trembled and glared at Leonard.
Where on earth would he get such a large sum of money right away?
In the past, he would have used his honor as collateral to borrow money from here and there to put out the fire, but now that honor was gone. Everyone in the system was laughing at Edward. He had nothing left. To the point of despair...
No. At that moment, Edward's eyes lit up with venom. There's still nothing left. Yes. He was a nobleman, wasn't he? It was a world where money was more important than status as businessmen rose to power.
Buying and selling titles was no longer such a rare thing.
'Let's put out the fire right now.'
First, let's use the money from selling his status to get rid of that devil Leonard. Of course, Edward had no intention of living as a commoner.
'The day the trading ship returns is just around the corner.&
At the time when Lopez House was selling out all its tickets and screaming with joy, Edward had bought a large amount of stock in the Eastern Sea Trading Company. Even when he suffered from Ariana's wicked scheme, he didn't sell that stock.
'It was a very good thing.'
Although he had lost everything in the card game room he frequented, it was a big deal just to get information about the trading company. After that, the news spread, and other nobles started to buy the stocks as well. Thanks to this, Edward's profits had already reached a considerable level.
'But selling it now would be like burying the diamond mine in front of you while being blinded by the gold right in front of you.'
The trading ship would return soon. Then the trading company would create incomparable value now.
'I can buy the title back then.'
Edward swallowed and looked at Leonard with solemn eyes.
"Sir... I have something I want to trade."
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