Chapter 40

“When did I say that I would listen to the necklace?”

But soon after, Charlotte’s sharp voice echoed in the room.

Startled, Jayna closed the necklace again, then Charlotte, while looking at Jayna with her narrowed eyes, stated.

“Let’s look at the student’s skills, not the concert.”

“Yes, I’m not good enough, but I’m going to try.”

Jayna put her two little hands on the keyboard. Both hands, who soon started playing, moved around the big keyboard, albeit clumsily.

Charlotte’s eyes looking at Jayna became thin. As a test, she even screamed a few words out loud, but she was not a troublesome child to handle as she was obedient.

‘I can’t stand it. Those blue eyes.’

The color the same as that of the Tower Lord that can make anyone feel ominous.

‘Ah, Tower Lord…’

Charlotte felt her heart beating fast when she remembered the Tower Lord. She took a long breath and cleared her mind. She wasn’t even interested in the little kid’s performance from the beginning.

“Stop.” Charlotte frowned heavily when Jayna stopped her hand and spoke again.

“I don’t want to say this, but it’s not even the basics of the basics. This is noise pollution, not playing.”

An elegant yet harsh tone.

The appearance was a refined noble of the capital city, but the words that came out of her beautiful mouth were all abusive.

Izren’s eyes turned at her.

‘How could you say that to a 10-year-old?’

He wanted to step up right away, but he held back.

It was because of Diamide’s command of not doing anything unless Jayna said so.

“How do you feel about playing—no, how do you feel about joking around like this?”

Even though Charlotte asked with her eyes wide open, as if to offend her on purpose, Jayna replied plainly.

“I will study hard from my teacher as much as I am lacking.”

“Study? Ha, with this skill, it would take over 10 years for you to play it properly”

But as time went on, her rudeness got worse. It was on an unbearable level. Unable to stand it, Izren turned and stared at her.

“Oh, what are you doing?”

Charlotte looked astonished when the hybrid escort knight gave her a fierce look.

The two exchanged fierce gazes, as if they were going to collide at any moment.

A situation that is about to burst.

Jayna, watching the two, quickly opened her mouth.

“Then do you think there’s no point in learning harpsichord? It doesn’t have to be perfect.”

The ten-year period was too long for Jayna.

It was a future that didn’t exist in her life.

Jayna just wanted to play the piece with her own hands, even if it wasn’t perfect.

“You’re a slick speaker. Then I guess you can play the instrument with my help, considering how great my skills are.”

Charlotte sat in the chair, pushing Jayna as if she was slightly irritated.

Then she started playing soon.

As ten long, straight fingers moved brilliantly, a beautiful melody flowed from the harpsichord. It was a skill that could fascinate the listener in an instant.

Jayna silently looked up at Charlotte, whose attention was focused on the harpsichord and was playing it smoothly with her fingers.

When the performance was over, Charlotte raised her chin with an elated look.

“How was my performance in the eyes of the student?”

“You are cool when you play the harpsichord.”

Jayna praised her with sparkling eyes.

In an honest compliment, with no pretense, Charlotte slightly frowned. She thought Jayna would be depressed, but it was a different reaction than she expected.

The now irritated Charlotte got up.

“Hey, I guess you have eyes to see. Anyway, if you want to learn harpsichord, you’ll have to follow my words well in the future. If you do, you will be able to follow my heels.”

“Okay. I’ll work harder.”

“Today is the first day, so it will be over here.”

When Jayna responded with a mild nod, Charlotte added a word and immediately left the room.

When the footsteps were no longer heard, Izren carefully opened his mouth.

“Are you okay? That woman—”

“Yes, it’s okay. Rather, I’m happy to have a teacher. I wasn’t sure what to do by myself.”

Although she must have been offended by Charlotte’s arrogant and impolite attitude, Jayna’s face looked more pleasant than usual.

Izren tilted her head and stared at Jayna’s face for a while.

* * *

It is not even the period for submitting the research project, but the tower has been very bustling these days.

It was because it was Jayna’s birthday a few days later.

-Jayna, when were you born?

-Come to think of it, it’s my birthday soon.

Hilvenzia and Michael, who knew when her birthday was while talking to Jayna, did not let it pass. They’ve been busy since a few days ago planning to hold a grand birthday party.

Michael, in particular, had a very nervous face unlike usual.

“Wait… don’t do… the same thing.”

“What?”

“Birthday present…”

Michael said, avoiding Jayna’s gaze.

“Yeah?”

“Well, I mean… don’t compare it with what the Tower Lord gave you… A-and don’t frown because you didn’t receive an excellent gift!” (Michael)

Michael, who got mad at Jayna, turned around

“I don’t need something like a gift… And why mention the Tower Lord suddenly…?”

“The lord of the tower gave you a room, gave you a musical instrument… and even assigned an exclusive teacher for you.”

“Is that a birthday present? He just gave me that for me to learn the music instrument well… And Michael-nim was the one to get me a teacher.”

“Well, I’m the one who finds a teacher for you, but… I could get the musical instrument teacher thanks to the name of the tower lord…”

‘You want to give me a special gift, but did you have heartache because you couldn’t think of something?

“Is that why you’re depressed like this?”

Jayna giggled unconsciously. Michael shouted at the sight.

“W-when did I?!”

“Michael-nim, the heart is the most important gift. Would you laugh at me if I gave Michael-nim a small, petty birthday present?”

“…You are going to give me a birthday present?”

Michael’s face, which had just been grim, opened up as if a dog’s with its ears pricked up.

Jayna thought it was cute in her heart. Then she lowered her head.

“I have little, so it would be less than a gift from Michael-nim. So there’s a possibility that you won’t like it.”

“That will not happen!”

Jayna stared up at Michael. Michael flinched nervously at her gaze.

“What—what is it.”

“I heard that this is the busiest time of the year for wizards.”

Jayna, who heard the story of the wizards in the restaurant, was worried about Michael. He’s so busy, but he’s still taking care of her birthday.

Jayna was very grateful for Michael’s heart.

“I’m—”

“Hey, don’t talk!”

“Opp!”

Michael pulled out both of Jayna’s cheeks, which were white and fluffy like a sticky rice cake.

“You are cheeky! You are cheeky!”

“Ugh!”

Cheeky? What is he talking about?

When Jayna made a puzzled expression with a crumpled face, Michael laughed loudly and let go of her cheeks as if it was funny.

“You’re ugly.”

“Since we’re cousins, isn’t it natural for me to resemble Michael-nim?”

‘So, I’m ugly because I resemble you.’

Of course, Jayna and Michael had no similarities.

Michael was handsome and bright like a summer rose, and Jayna was more on the gentle and cute-looking side.

However, Michael focused on the title instead of pointing it out. It seemed that he’d been wanting to hear it.

“Hey, I asked you to do it the other time, but will you really not call me brother?”

“I feel uncomfortable to call you brother.”

“The turtle is in the sea.”

Jayna replied with a frown upon what Michael threw out.

“You didn’t mean to be funny, did you?”

“This stupid idiot!”

Michael’s face was burning. Jayna smiled as she looked at him fidget with one hand covering his face.

“uh…”

‘Have she ever laughed so brightly?’

Michael, who was trying to say something about her laughing, lost his timing to get angry because he saw Jayna smiling brightly.

And near to him.

Looking at Michael standing blankly, Hilvenzia put her hand on her mouth.

‘I never thought the day would come when Michael Bellaphanian will become a fool.’

Well, it’s not like she’s different.

In fact, she couldn’t choose a birthday present for Jayna either.

It was because the tower lord bought her all the things she needed with the excuse of learning musical instruments.

‘I wonder what’s in the tower lord’s mind.’

I don’t know what happened between the two, but Diamide’s behavior was excessive for simply learning musical instruments. He even violated the long-standing rule of the tower for a child who hadn’t been around for a long time.

Either way, an obvious change had occurred to him.

‘By the way… what should I buy that she’ll surely like?’

Hilvenzia sighed as she looked at Jayna with warm eyes,

* * *

‘I want to play the song A.’

When a student says so, most of them (teachers) will teach song A first. It was because it was better for motivation to play right away than theory or skills. And if the student is a beginner who still lacks a lot in handling the instrument, it will be a good step for them to get used to the instrument first.

But in Charlotte’s harpsichord class, that common sense didn’t work.

“As long as I am the teacher, my teaching is absolute.”