Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Für Elise
The music Elise had known up until now wasn't anything special. The light, tinkling sounds of a bard strumming a lute.
The delicate, fragile tremors of a harp echoing through a banquet hall. Or the overly solemn, heavy pressure of a church organ.
That was it. No, that was all the music Elise had ever heard.
But the music playing now was different.... The sound pouring from the black machine before her eyes, the 'piano', carried weight.
A primal sense of impact from striking to produce sound. Yet its lingering resonance stretched on long and soft, like silk.
From the tips of the man's fingers gliding over the keys flowed a rhythm unlike anything the world had ever heard.
Melancholy. A desperate longing, as if waiting endlessly for someone. And a lonely rustle, like fallen leaves in late autumn.
Elise unconsciously swallowed dryly. Her heart began to pound on its own.
'What... is this?'
Ripples stirred in her bored soul. As if entranced, she shifted her gaze to the performer.
'An ordinary face.'
To be honest, he wasn't handsome. Just commonplace brown hair you could see anywhere in the empire, and unremarkable features.
Compared to the glamorous beauties who frequented the palace, his appearance was downright shabby.
That was surely the case. Yet the way Aiman sat at the keys now struck Elise in a new light.
Thud, thud, thump.
Each time his fingers pressed the keys, invisible waves rippled through the air.
Aiman's eyes were half-closed, and the corners of his mouth curved up faintly.
As if he'd left the real world behind and was wandering a dream only he knew?
'I've seen that look before.'
Elise knew what that expression was. Pure passion. Or, put differently, the face of someone who had achieved their dream.
An expression that said nothing in this world could make him envy anyone else.... An expression you could never encounter in tedious daily life.
Something on a whole different level from the fake smiles of high society or the greedy glint in power-hungry eyes.
The music continued. The melody, laden with sorrow, seemed to pause for a moment before shifting to a lively, bright major key.
As if reminiscing about a happy time spent with a lover...
Meanwhile, Haruna wasn't focused on the rhythm itself.
She still held oil-stained gloves in her hands, her attention fixed on the piano.
'This... is something I made?'
She couldn't believe it. She'd only carved the wood to the dimensions on the blueprint and strung and tensioned the wires.
She'd felt pangs of self-doubt countless times while building that massive piece of furniture.
It wasn't a sword or ironwork—just carving wood... Could you even call that dwarf craftsmanship?
And when Aiman had brought the blueprint, her pride had been deeply wounded at the thought of a human handing her plans and her just following them blindly.
And finally, the completed massive furniture. A lump that anyone could see was useless. But to that useless lump... Aiman had breathed life into it.
Tears welled up in Haruna's eyes. She'd lived her whole life dismissed as a half-baked blacksmith lacking creativity.
But... the emotion she felt in this moment... She couldn't put it into words.
'I can do it too.'
She felt that she could create art herself.
And the final character. The one hiding in the darkest shadow of the workshop.
Anna, who had been holding her breath to guard Elise, swallowed dryly.
That man—Aiman, was it? And the music he'd created. Titled Für Elise...
'No way... Did he know Her Highness the Princess would come? No, that can't be. But all this coincidence?'
Anna's eyes wavered.
Of all times, right as Her Highness arrived, he plays a piece called 'Für Elise'? Just a coincidence?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The piece passed its climax and returned to the initial theme. The passionately surging emotions settled calmly.
The repeating opening melody approached with a different feel from the first time.
I regulated my breathing. The rebound from the keys transmitted to my fingertips.
The faint vibration from the hammer striking the strings traveled up my fingers, through my elbow, to my heart.
'It's over.'
The final measure. My left hand descended toward the low keys.
Thoom—
The lowest octave resounded through the workshop floor. It wasn't a sound heard with the ears but felt with the body.
Deep, dark, with a long aftertone...
I didn't lift my fingers from the keys. Not until the strings' vibration fully stopped.
I waited until the last floating note sank to the floor and vanished.
At last, complete silence descended.
Only then did I slowly lift my hands from the keys and rest them on my knees.
"Hoo...."
The breath I'd held burst out long. Sweat beaded on my forehead and trickled down my cheek.
Absurd to sweat after just three minutes of playing, but sweat there was.
Maybe because it was a piano made without proper sheet music, relying only on memory?
The tuning wasn't perfect, and the key weighting felt subtly off... Still, I finished it.
'Yeah, this is it.'
I raised my head with a satisfied smile. It felt refreshing, like hacking up 15 years of phlegm.
From now on, whenever I'm bored, I'll play piano at home for fun. I stood and said to Haruna.
"How was it, Haruna? Pretty good, right?"
No reply. It was quiet. Too quiet. I couldn't help but flinch at the silent atmosphere.
Haruna stared at me—or rather, through me at the piano—with a dazed expression.
And the robed woman on the chair. She too was frozen, unmoving.
For a moment, a chill ran down my spine.
'What's this? Why the reaction?'
Was the music too unfamiliar and thus bad? Or did I get too immersed and make a weird face?
Maybe it didn't suit this world's sensibilities? Should I have played something softer like lute music?
The noble (presumed) dares play me this crap! And now she'll have my head?
Just as such ominous thoughts filled my mind.
"That piece..."
Breaking the silence, the robed woman's voice rang out. It trembled faintly.
"Did you... compose it yourself?"
Of course not... It's Beethoven's. If I said that, they'd think I'm insane?
In my mind, I prayed to Beethoven, and just now, Brother Beethoven granted permission.
'Thanks, bro.'
I nodded slightly and answered.
"I composed it. It took... quite a long time to perfect the melody."
Of course, the long deliberation was about the piano. But it was a fact that I'd pondered long, so no shame here!
Hearing my answer, the noble (presumed) asked again.
"Then, the title too..."
Her voice grew even more emotional.
"Did you come up with it yourself? That... 'Für Elise' title."
I nodded without much thought.
"Yes. 'Für Elise.'"
"Ah..."
A short moan escaped the woman's lips. Was there something special about the title Für Elise?
I couldn't figure it out. The noble (presumed) hid her face with her fan and cleared her throat lightly.
"Ahem. Hm."
She straightened her back, as if reclaiming her dignity. But her wavering eyes remained fixed on me.
"Splendid. Truly... astonishingly splendid. I never imagined I'd hear such beautiful music."
No, it's not that great, is it?
"For someone with such talent to be buried in a place like this—it's the empire's loss."
Her tone had changed. The initial curious lilt was gone, replaced by the haughty yet elegant speech unique to nobles.
'This is scary as hell.'
Of course, her words praised me... But a commoner like me could die on a noble's whim.
'She's gotta be loaded, right?'
If my performance moved her, maybe a generous tip?
I still owed Haruna a good chunk of the production fee. This could settle it.
Half fear, half anticipation. With an expression mixed evenly, I politely awaited her words.
Silver coins would have me kissing her feet like a dog, but gold maybe?
"As promised, your reward. I swear on my name—it will be the greatest reward you can imagine."
I bowed deeply.
"Thank you! I'll gratefully accept anything!"
"You..."
She paused, then declared in a resolute voice.
"I will buy you."
"...Pardon?"