CH 1.10

The next day, while Marie was sleeping, someone suddenly knocked on her door.

“Marie! Marie?! Are you there?”

Marie was startled awake. “Yes! I’m here. What’s going on?”

When the door was opened, Jane, her fellow maid, asked with a puzzled expression on her face, “Did something happen last night?”

“Pardon?” Marie’s heart sank. Something indeed happened last night. ‘D-Did someone see me?’

Her heart pounded. ‘No. I’m sure nobody’s there when I was playing and even when I was done. No one could’ve seen me.’

“Vahan, the conductor of the Imperial Court Orchestra, wants you to come to the Crystal Palace. Come!” Her fellow maid said as Marie struggled to calm herself down.

Marie panted as she made her way to the Crystal Palace. Even though it was early in the morning, the rehearsal room was bustling.

Inside were the key figures of the orchestra: the conductor Vahan, the concertmaster, and the assistant concertmaster.

Vahan was staring at the scroll of paper with a serious expression on his face, so unlike his usual air. ‘Ah, he summoned me to ask about the sheet music I left.’

The scroll of paper was the sheet music she’d written on the night before. Marie let out a sigh of relief at the thought that she hadn’t been discovered. ‘Let’s keep this in mind: tread carefully; I didn’t write that; I don’t know anything.’

Meanwhile, Vahan and the other musicians carried on their discussion without noticing her presence. “Then this isn’t written by you, concertmaster?”

“Of course, Maestro. How can I write a piece like this?”

“How about you, assistant concertmaster?”

“Of course not. You know this is beyond my capabilities.”

Vahan sighed in response. “Then who the hell is it? Who made this masterpiece?”

The members of the orchestra asked, “Didn’t you write it Maestro? Isn’t this the finale of the Country Symphony you’ve composed?”

Vahan shook his head. “No. Sure, I was trying to come up with a finale like this, but I couldn’t develop the theme at all. But this score…”

Vahan gulped. What he’d been vaguely thinking about was fully realized. With a higher level of skill, no less. He couldn’t wrap his head around it. ‘Who the hell is it? Who wrote it?’

Then he noticed Marie’s arrival and asked frantically. “Ah, Miss Marie? Sorry for calling you so early in the morning. I have an urgent question to ask.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Did you not see the person who wrote this score in the rehearsal room last night?”

Marie shook her head.

She must answer carefully.

“I didn’t see anyone.”

“No one at all?”

“Yes. I really haven’t seen anyone.”

Vahan not once had suspected that she was lying to him. There was no particular reason for her to lie. “Is that so? Haa*. So, who the hell left this sheet music?”

*sound of sighing.

“…What’s going on?”

“Take a look at this.”

Vahan unfolded the sheet music and showed it to Marie. It was the score she’d composed yesterday.

“Someone wrote a masterpiece on this sheet music and left without a trace.”

A masterpiece! She put on an astonished expression at his excessive praise. Of course, she’s aware that the symphony’s finale was wonderful, but hearing such glowing praise right in front of her made her feel embarrassed. “Um… weren’t you, Maestro, trying to do the same thing?”

“I would have, but I only had a faint idea. I never would’ve thought to conclude it this way.” And then he groaned. “What’s even more surprising is that they only wrote the essential themes. It’s like giving me a hint and telling me to proceed this way!”

Marie had nothing to say because he was right. She was trying to give him a hint.

She asked cautiously, “Then, can’t you complete the rest based on it?”

“Of course I can. All the important themes have been resolved.”

“Then what’s the problem…?”

Vahan shook his head. “There’s nothing wrong with it. Rather, it’s amazing. I would be able to complete the Country symphony that I’ve longed for my whole life! But…!”

He said in an excited voice, “I really want to meet the person who wrote this. How on earth did they create such a masterpiece! I’m sure they’re an exceptional person who’s incomparably better than me! I really want to meet and learn from them.”

Hearing him talk, Marie was taken aback. ‘What? He wanted to learn from me? Is he serious?’

But when she saw his eyes, she gulped. Those blazing eyes seemed to indicate that he’d beg on his knees just to be accepted as her pupil.

‘Oh God.’ Not a chance! Marie vowed that she would never get caught.

But then, the sound of combat boots approached them.

‘How come His Highness’ Royal Guard Knight is here?’ Marie, who recognized the identity of the approaching person, made an astonished expression.

It was Almond, the Crown Prince’s Royal Guard Knight, who appeared during the previous sculpture incident.

‘Why is he here this time?’

Just when an ominous feeling crossed her mind, Almond said, “Who’s the conductor here?”

“It’s me, Vahan. I’m the conductor.”

Vahan raised his hand with a puzzled expression.

“I see. Follow me. His Highness the Crown Prince is waiting for you.”

“…!”

It took everyone by surprise. Why was the Crown Prince of Blood looking for the orchestra’s Maestro, when he seemed to have no interest in music?

But the surprise didn’t end there. Almond turned her head to Marie and looked at her from head to toe.

It was a gaze of trying to confirm something.

“Are you the assigned maid?”

“Yes?”

“Come with me as well.”

Marie’s eyes widened. ‘The Crown Prince of Blood is looking for me?’

Marie and Vahan wordlessly followed Almond. Both were thinking the same thing. ‘Why?’ Especially Marie, who looked deathly pale. Since Vahan’s in charge of the Imperial Court Orchestra, it’s only natural that he’d be summoned, whereas she’s just a mere maid.

No matter how much she struggled to make sense of it, he had no reason to summon her. There was only one reason she could think of.

‘Did he find out my true identity?’ Marie, no, rather, Morina gulped. No matter how much she thought about it, there seemed to be no other reason to summon a mere maid.

‘No. It can’t be. There’s no way I’d be discovered.’

In the first place, even within her kingdom, it was extremely rare to recognize her. Oh, how she sniggered when she saw a composite sketch of her face, drawn by a mere guess. It was like a completely different person.

Moreover, three years had passed since then. The 14-year-old girl turned 17, and so her face had changed a lot.

She worked as a maid now, no longer a princess. Even if someone who‘s familiar of her appearance saw her, they would not recognize her.

‘It must be for another reason. Don’t be nervous.’ She tried to calm herself by thinking so. It was also reassuring that Almond, the Royal Guard Knight, was escorting them rather courteously.

She thought, ‘If I’d been caught, he wouldn’t have escorted me so nicely. He would’ve tied me up with a rope and dragged me straight to prison.’

While thinking so Almond said, “We’re here.”

“…!”

“His Highness has been waiting for both of you, so get ready.”

Kkiiik [Squeak].

The door opened, revealing a large room.

There were two men around the desk, but the man on the left could immediately be recognized. It’s because the latter was wearing an iron mask that covered half of his face, with only his white chin exposed.

‘The iron mask!’

She shuddered unconsciously. He was the Crown Prince of Blood she’d seen on the day their kingdom was defeated!

‘Calm down. I’m not the princess of the Cloyan Kingdom anymore, I’m just an ignorant maid.’

Next to the Crown Prince was a handsome man with a sunny disposition, and Marie recognized him right away, as he was also a notorious person. ‘The Prime Minister, Duke Oren!’

Unexpectedly, she faced two of the most powerful men in the empire.

Both of them bowed together. “I greet Your Highness, the Crown Prince of the Empire!”

“You may raise your head.”

Marie and Vahan patiently waited for the Crown Prince’s words.

“Are you Vahan, the conductor of the Imperial Court Orchestra?”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

“I see. You’ve done well. The reason I’ve summoned you here is to confirm something.”

“What is it, Your Highness?”

The Crown Prince wordlessly rose from his seat. Then he walked towards the piano in the corner of the room.

‘There’s a piano in his office?’ Marie and Vahan looked puzzled.

Soon, something even more surprising happened. The Crown Prince sat in front of the piano and put his hand on the keys.

“Do you know this piece by any chance?”

“..!”

Suddenly, a low but clear tone reverberated!

At that moment, Vahan’s face was filled with astonishment. First of all, the Crown Prince’s piano skills were outstanding. He was more seasoned than most professional pianists.

But what shocked Vahan the most was that the music he was playing was extremely familiar.

’This is my Country Symphony! How could His Highness know it?’

The surprise didn’t end there. After the Crown Prince gracefully played the first movement, he started playing the unfinished second movement. Moreover, the progression of the main melody and the score left behind by the mystery musician were identical!

‘H-How?!’ Vahan couldn’t believe what was happening right before his eyes.

Eventually, the Crown Prince stopped. “With my skill level, it’ll be difficult to go any further. It’s a difficult level that only a virtuoso can play. In any case, are you familiar with this symphony?”

Vahan nodded absentmindedly.

“Y-Yes, I am.”

“Really? Whose composition is this?” The Crown Prince asked with delight.

Unlike the last time with the sculptor, he thought it would be easy to find the composer of the symphony. However, the Conductor’s answer was strange.

“…I don’t know.”

“Didn’t you just say yes? But now you don’t know? What does that mean?”

“I composed the symphony, Your Highness. But at the same time, I didn’t.”

“I don’t understand what on earth you’re talking about.” The Crown Prince frowned at Vahan’s incomprehensible words.

Vahan sighed heavily, as if the world was about to end. “The truth is…”

Soon he explained the situation to the Crown Prince.

The moment he listened to Vahan’s explanation, the Crown Prince’s expression changed.

“So… someone completed the latter part of your unfinished symphony in your stead? And anonymously left the sheet music in the rehearsal room?”

It was just like the sculpture incident.

t/n: oh wow, he only listened to it once, and yet he could remember and play it by ear? he’s gifted dayum

rael: 0 (bro keep up)

marie: 3