Chapter 102
Even if she was a genius who could never forget a piece of music once she saw it, even if she was a prodigy who had been playing the violin since the age of three, she thought it would be hard for her to play for so long…
Even without piano accompaniment, the rich violin aria rang out beautifully.
Manuel Ponce’s Little Star (Estrellita).
A violin minor piece arranged by virtuoso Yasha Heifetz from the original song.
Designation.
A soft, relaxing melody that reminds her of the twinkling of stars in the night sky. The melody melted her ears like a soft cream, like a pleasant dream.
It’s a repertoire piece that’s often played as a recital encore, and she often played it herself.
Ziying.
The bow fell from the strings and a heavy breath came out as the music ended.
‘It’s hard to play a single piece with this body after all.’
Her left arm, the one she’d been using to hold her posture, was shaking.
She felt like she would be out for the rest of the day if she played even an early seasonal symphony.
“Huh?”
Why are there people over there?
“They heard my daughter playing and came over like they were mesmerized.”
One by one, they stopped in their tracks and stood at the door, breathlessly listening to the music.
“My daughter shouldn’t play anywhere.”
“Ugh. Why?”
“There won’t be this many people again.”
She couldn’t resist laughing at the joke. She can’t approach them easily now that she has a father, but their eyes lit up when they saw her.
“That was a great song!”
“Wow, Lady. Can you play an instrument?”
“Aren’t my Lady a genius? How did you play that?”
Thunderous applause erupted.
“I’ve never heard music like this before.”
“I cried because I loved the song so much…”
“I thought you didn’t know why you listen to music.”
“It was amazing, even for my deaf ears.”
She was overwhelmed by the response to her performance.
“Can you please play again?”
“I’d love to, but my arm…”
When she showed them her fluttering left arm, they gave her a pitying look.
“My Lady!”
She didn’t know when she blended in with the group, but a nurturer jumped out and hastily patted her arm.
“You’re not sick, are you?”
“Just tired.”
If she can do this for three minutes, she can’t do it for a ten-minute symphony. She never realized how difficult it is to hold the basic violin position, which is to keep the instrument horizontal.
There were a few times when she felt like she didn’t have enough strength in her fingers, or that she wasn’t playing the right notes.
It’s so subtle that few people would notice, though.
‘But the performance has to be perfect.’
Because it’s polite to the audience.
She wished she was in better shape.
Now she wishes she was in better shape. It was funny.
Can she be healthy?
“Why do you have that look on your face all of a sudden?”
Her father reached out and cupped her cheek.
“Just.”
“Just?”
“Because I want to live.”
“You’ll live.”
“I’ll tell you what, it’s not that simple.” Her father chuckled at her disgruntled expression.
“That’s not what a kid thinks about.”
“I said, don’t wish for something you can’t have.”
“Who said that?”
“I don’t know. I don’t remember.”
“No one knows if it’s something you can’t have or something you can.”
“You know what I want to have?”
The sneer was followed by a serious stare.
“You want me to give you the world?”
“I’m not interested in that.”
She knew she wouldn’t live long, but she grew to love this life.
Pession, the nursery, Mehen and Dad, Aaron and the twins, who liked her.
She met so many good people, and she knows that what she already has is great, but she keeps getting greedy.
She get in trouble for being greedy.
“Ah.”
Suddenly, a large hand covered her forehead and stroked her hair viciously.
She strained her eyes through her messy hair and glared at her father, and when their eyes met, he rolled his eyes and smiled.
“Why bother?”
“You’re making a weird face.”
“I don’t have a weird face.”
“Smile, because it looks better on my daughter.”
She puffed out her cheeks.
“Old man are annoying when they laugh.”
“Old man again? Did I get my dad confiscated?”
She pouted, and her father scooped her up in his arms.
She needs to clean the rosin.
She looked up at her father, hugging him, violin in hand. The lack of humiliation from this angle is a fraud.
“Did I play badly?”
“No. It was too good.”
“Then why aren’t you praising me? You just look so serious.”
“Because my daughter is… so amazing?”
What’s that, bending down to receive me?’
She glares at him, and he laughs and pats her on the cheek. She wonder what else he’s thinking.
“Don’t play in front of the wizard.”
“Why?”
“Because I think the wizard would go crazy if he heard you play.”
“?”
She asked him what that meant, but he just laughed.
***
In the center of the ecliptic, in a vast plaza, the people gathered looked up.
The white clouds that hung picturesquely in the clear blue sky gradually parted to reveal the tip of the Celestial Island.
“Wow!”
“It’s a sky pagoda!”
As the Celestial Island, which normally rose as high as the stars, lowered its altitude, a massive, endless tower came into view that seemed to pierce the sky.
The mage’s holy ground, the headquarters of the Demon Tower.
The home of all wizards.
People cheered the appearance of the sky tower in Albrecht after 154 years.
***
The drawing room of the Imperial Palace.
Emperor Edward was depressed.
“I don’t suppose you’ll cede the throne to Pession even now?”
“You think I will?”
The biggest social event of the founding festival had come to a close, but the festival was just beginning.
A series of social events and festivals across the capital.
There was the largest auction sale on the Central Continent, starting four days from today.
“I just want to live a normal life with Ageni, so why is there so much to worry about in my kingdom?”
The appearance of the Sky Tower had been foretold.
But what was troubling Emperor Edward now was a different matter.
Lord of the Sky Tower, Lord of all towers, Wu of all wizards.
“Your Majesty, our guest of honor has arrived.”
Marcedes the Archmage.
Emperor Edward sighed deeply at the sight of the history-book titan.
“Still no word from Halbern? No dinner tonight?”
“Yes, the Archduke has informed me that he is having difficulty with his mobility due to overuse of his powers.”
“I suppose he just doesn’t want to come.”
Emperor Edward, remembering the commotion on the first day of the ball and how his daughter had disappeared in a huff, demanded his chamberlain.
“Summon him again, summon him!”
“Your Majesty…”
“I want to hear his wife’s side of the story, too. Bring her in.”
“…”
“Should I send a Pession or something?”
His son was clamoring to go to Halbern.
He sent it unprepared, but he couldn’t let it go for fear of losing his heir…
“Your Majesty, you must return to the real world.”
“Yes, let’s see what the Sky Tower has to do with Jim.”
It was then.
“Your Majesty, an urgent message from the Duke of Idickels!”
The world did not leave Emperor Edward alone.
***
Terence, Duke of Idicels, looked at the unusually clear and sunny skies of the Southern Empire today and wished the Emperor Edward well.
Mostly, he wanted him to live a long, long life, so that he could reap the rewards of labors later!
Blessed by some ancient deity with a mild climate year-round, the Pythal South Empire was small in size compared to Albrecht, but rich in resources.
It was a great place to live, but…
‘I want to go home.’
Six years ago, the Duke of Idikels, suddenly dispatched and still held captive, had nothing but home on his mind.
And then.
Tapping.
The metronome-like sound of fingers tapping regularly on the desk roused Duke Idikels from his reverie.
Turning, he saw a rainy room, a stark contrast to the sunny weather.
Worse than that, the owner of this room.
The de facto owner of the Southern Reich’s Pythals.
Regent, Duke Ludwig van Locke.
