Chapter 77 - 'Vision'

Marquess Samed's eyes which had widened at the beginning were now rolling without restraint after he heard her entire sentence.

"A dream?" He gawked at her as though she was a patient who had just escaped the mental asylum.

'Now he's gonna think that I'm crazy!' Yvonne lamented for her image which kept dropping in her tutor's eyes.

Yet there was nothing she could do as what she had said was the truth.

The first time she read that music score and then played it, she was moved to tears.

The second time was on the very same evening where she felt as though she was in a trance as the notes came to her mind and she began playing it without any mistakes.

"Marquess, I know this sounds weird but I am sure that there is something about this piece that draws me to it." She mumbled and then stared at the papers in her hand.

Among the information that Duchess Beatrice had handed over to her brother, present in them was also the scores of the music.

Now reading the same thing that she had played yesterday, Yvonne was experiencing a surreal feeling enveloping her.

As her eyes focused on the musical score, an image of a certain time and place was conjured in her mind.

She could see a woman dressed in spotless white clothes, those which a bride would wear on her wedding day, seated before the piano with her back facing in Yvonne's direction.

No movement was made but in the next second, soulful music was heard.

The tune which had begun as soft and melodious soon turned into painful and heart-wrenching music.

The same tune that Yvonne had played yesterday was once again heard in her ears.

She could see neither color nor any of the lady's surroundings, all she could see was that beautiful back which was playing that despairing music.

The music sounded until the very end and then, Yvonne heard a sentence, a murmur coming from the woman's direction.

"Time to say goodbye, my love."

That single sentence was filled with the exact same hopelessness and grief that Yvonne had felt when she was playing 'Tears of our love'.

'Who is she and why does she appear in my brain so often?' Yvonne questioned herself with her brows furrowed deeply.

The voice she had heard just now was similar to the voice which had asked her to 'feel the music' when she was back in the piano room alone.

After heeding her advice, Yvonne had magically remembered the notes of 'tears of our love' and had even played it effortlessly.

"What's wrong?" Marquess Samed's query brought Yvonne back from the downward spiral of doubts that she had been tumbling into.

She looked up and the conflicted and troubled expression on her face had not eased in the least bit.

Sullivan had thought of mocking her for her bizarre statement earlier but looking at her now, he was sure that there was something that was wrong with her.

"I heard that music again..." She muttered loud enough for Sulivan to catch her words.

'Hmm? She can hear music just by looking at the score?' He wondered what she meant by those words.

Yvonne did not explain what she had just uttered. In truth, she felt a headache arising the more she tried to concentrate on the woman whom she had seen in her 'vision'.

'Asmodeus… If you are listening to this, you have some explaining to do!' She growled in her mind and hoped that the annoying bird would hear her words.

___

Up above in his realm, Asmodeus who had thrown a twig at his disciple, Theo, froze when he heard someone praying to him.

"Someone remembered this great god after all these ages?" He exclaimed in excitement as he sat up straight.

Theo was still in his bird form as he flew over to his master with the twig held between his beak.

He watched as the look of excitement on his master's face changed to an irked scowl after a few seconds.

"Why does this god have to explain anything to you!? I've already made things so easy for you but you still dare to question this god!" He snarled and then shut his eyes.

With his eyes closed, he was able to see the room where that foul-mouthed child was sitting with her tutor.

"There's nothing wrong with her." He assessed after taking a quick glance at her.

He then opened his eyes and threw away the thought about the little girl from his mind.

'Here I was happy that a human finally thought of this god but it turned out to be that little one!" He harrumphed before going back to the training that he was giving to his clumsy disciple.

Theo was unaware of what had just happened and hence he went back to the game of fetch that his master called 'Training'.

___

Downstairs, in her study room, Yvonne safely placed the papers that contained the information about the composer of 'Tears of our Love' back in the folder.

"We've wasted enough time with this. Can we begin our class?" She polled as she kept the folder by her side.

Marquess Samed had a lot of questions to ask regarding the 'music in my ears' part but he decided to leave that for later.

'Teaching her is more important than my curiosity for new gossip.' He chided himself and then picked up two books that he had brought today.

He kept one for himself and then handed the other book to his student.

Yvonne carried the thick book that contained the history of the Kingdom of Rosenhyde from its emergence.

"To page 268." He instructed her after he found the page with the relevant information in his book.

Yvonne placed the heavy book on her lap and then flipped through the pages until she reached the one which he had mentioned.

*The First great plague*

Yvonne read the name of the chapter out loud and then glanced at her tutor.