Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Pachelbel, Canon (3)
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The Capital's Orphanage.
It was the hour when everyone had fallen asleep.
In the quiet darkness, Aria stirred and sat up.
Carefully, she opened the window.
Sitting by her bedside, she waited silently. Soon, a melody began to drift in.
At first, it was low and quiet.
Then, the performance gradually transformed, becoming more diverse and rich.
For Aria, who had been abandoned at the orphanage since birth, there were few chances to hear a piano.
The most she had ever done was watch from a distance during a send-off ceremony.
And yet, it didn't feel unfamiliar.
On the contrary, it was a warm, comforting feeling.
Phantom images of her parents' faces and a homeland she couldn't remember surfaced and vanished like a mirage.
‘I wonder what kind of music this is?’
Lately, every night, the same piece could be heard echoing from various places.
It was probably the sound of wealthy young nobles practicing their performances.
Aria loved those moments.
And then, it would stop.
The moment the music ceased, a hollow emptiness would return as if nothing had ever happened.
‘I want to hear more.’
The streetlights would go out one by one, and Aria couldn't easily fall asleep until the deep hours of the morning.
And the next day.
"Headmaster!"
Aria, having come to find the headmaster of the Capital's orphanage, called out from the morning.
"What is it, Aria?"
"There's a sound coming from outside every night!"
"Oh? I suppose we need to redo the soundproofing. Did it disturb your sleep?"
"No! That's not it!"
Aria swung her arms around, acting spoiled.
"A piano! I can hear a piano! It goes like this..."
Aria tried to mimic the performance she had heard the night before with her mouth.
"Dahn, dah-nah-nah, dah-nah-nah~"
"Hm?"
"It was something like this..."
The headmaster, Joel Balois, stroked Aria's head.
The sight of the girl imitating the sound of a piano was unbearably cute.
"Dahn! Dah-nah-nah! Dah-nah-nah-nah...? No, is this not it...?"
At first, he had no idea what the song was, but as he listened quietly, he began to recognize it.
Canon.
It was definitely music called by that name.
Lately, in noble houses with pianos, only Canon seemed to echo all day long, so it was impossible not to know it.
"It seems you really liked that piece, Aria."
Well, she was a child who had always been interested in music.
He had only thought she liked singing.
"I want to hear more of the piano, Headmaster."
What should he do about this?
Pianos were expensive items.
Even if nobles had enough money to afford them, it was out of the question for the orphanage.
On top of that, several families had been reducing their support lately, making even their meals meager.
In times like these, if he carelessly spent such a large sum of money, he would only end up feeling like a sinner who had done a great disservice to the children.
And besides, he didn't have that kind of money to begin with.
‘But taking them to the theater...’
With that kind of money, he could buy warm bread and soup for the children several times over.
‘This is difficult.’
For commoners, whose survival was the top priority, luxury was nothing else.
Enjoying culture and leisure.
That in itself was a luxury.
"Headmaster. Please."
However, he didn't fail to understand Aria's feelings.
When had this child ever acted so spoiled before?
She must have truly, sincerely liked that music.
Even in a harsh life, one can still dream.
"I won't eat! I'll only take a bath once a week!"
"It's alright."
He hurriedly waved his hands, fearing that Aria might actually do it.
"Make sure you eat your meals properly. I will look into a way."
He left the orphanage with a face full of worry.
Something was stuck in the small mailbox next to the entrance.
It looked like a bundle of papers.
‘I don't have anywhere to receive mail...’
He carefully took it out and flipped over the cover.
On the inner page, a signature was written in a graceful cursive.
Anton Tilberg.
It was a musical score.
He, too, had heard the name Anton Tilberg many times.
A famous performer trusted by the Imperial Family.
It was said that even the most elite nobles lined up to see his solo concerts.
He was the one who had performed at the send-off ceremony's celebration stage, and he was also the one who had first unveiled the Canon Aria had just sung.
There were even rumors that the price of his score books was quite substantial.
It seemed this had been sent as a donation.
"Aria would love this."
Donations to the orphanage weren't necessarily always food or daily necessities.
Sometimes, patrons would bring toys or books, and the children's interest was much higher in those.
He had been worried about not having a proper toy to give Aria, and while he couldn't bring a piano himself, a score might serve as some comfort.
"Wait a minute."
Why not just ask while he's at it?
Since they had even sent a donation to the orphanage, perhaps they would understand his situation.
Joel turned his steps toward the theater.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"I am Joel Balois, the headmaster of the Capital's orphanage."
Edward greeted him.
This was the first time the two had met in person.
"I apologize for visiting so suddenly. Might I be able to meet with Anton Tilberg?"
As the head of the orphanage, Joel wasn't exactly of low status, but since he was the one asking for a favor, he bowed as deeply as he could and acted with courtesy.
"As it happens, I have a meeting scheduled with the young master regarding the sale of the scores. Please wait a moment."
Edward guided Joel to a room.
It was a reception room behind the stage, which also served as a waiting room for the performers.
The space had an antique atmosphere.
In one corner, there was a wooden table and chairs where one could drink tea, and on the wall hung a portrait of an unknown artist.
Moreover, bookshelves were filled with books and scores.
‘If Aria saw this, she would be flabbergasted.’
After a while, someone walked into the room.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"An orphanage?"
"Yes. It is a place managed by our orphanage."
I had come to the theater for a meeting with Edward, but there was a stranger sitting on the sofa.
His name was Joel Balois.
The orphanage he mentioned was a place I knew.
I had sent a score there under the guise of a donation.
It seemed he had come because of that.
"I'm sorry for sending something useless to the children."
"Not at all."
Joel said.
"We have a child at our orphanage who loves music, so it will surely be a great gift."
That was welcome news to hear.
"You even took him to the send-off ceremony's celebration performance, didn't you?"
"Did he like it?"
"I'm not sure. That child isn't the type to show his feelings openly."
He's honest.
Indeed, 'The Great Gate of Kiev' might be a bit too complex for children to listen to.
While it's a cheat code for raising morale, it's far from being enjoyable.
What would suit children are more cheerful and simple pieces, like children's songs.
"Maybe I should compose some children's performance pieces sometime."
"In fact, that is what I've come to ask of you."
Joel, who had caught my muttered words immediately, leaned in.
"The piece you composed, called Canon."
"Yes."
"It's become incredibly popular in the Capital. The child I care for must have happened to hear the performance."
Joel's words were simple.
Even if it's a trending piece of music, there are few opportunities to hear it if one is not a noble.
The most one can do is listen intently to the sounds of practice coming from noble houses.
If one becomes curious and wants to hear it properly, it only becomes more frustrating if they can't.
He was absolutely right.
Even if they had the score, it would be useless without a piano.
It would be nothing more than a souvenir that looks good on the outside.
I understood exactly what he meant.
"Would it be possible to invite the children from the orphanage to the theater?"
Joel asked cautiously.
There was no need to think about it.
If there were people who loved music.
If he could make even one more person love music, the path a performer must take was already decided.
"Edward! Let's get ready!"
"Yes!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
He set out on the road, leading the children from the morning.
"Wow."
"It's a carriage."
"Headmaster! Where are we going?"
"Hold my hand."
Having never left the orphanage before, seeing the outside scenery for the first time seemed to make their hearts flutter.
They turned their heads every which way, too busy to even cover their flushed cheeks.
Aria was no different.
She clung to Joel's side, hopping along with a cheerful rhythm.
Eventually, they arrived at the theater, which wasn't too far from the orphanage.
"Wow, it's so big."
As soon as they entered through the entrance, Edward greeted them.
"Thank you for coming all this way."
He was holding several small bags in both hands.
"Here! Take one each!"
The children, holding the bags, bowed their heads brightly.
"Thank you!"
When they opened them, they contained snacks that looked delicious at a glance.
"It's thinly sliced, dried bread with seasoning sprinkled on top. It's quite a delicacy."
"Isn't eating inside the theater a forbidden rule?"
Joel asked in surprise, and Edward shook his head.
"The young master is not the type of person to care about such things."
Guided to their seats, Joel was dumbfounded.
The VIP seats, which were usually as hard to get as a star in the sky.
They were in the very front row.
"Are there no other audience members? We'd be fine watching from the very back."
"We couldn't possibly do that."
Even though he was the one who had asked for the favor, receiving such lavish treatment made Joel feel unnecessarily embarrassed.
"Headmaster! A piano! There's a piano!"
But Aria's single remark melted all his worries away.
As long as he could give the children joy, that was all that mattered.
Soon, a man walked onto the stage.