Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Academy Festival (12)
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“To think that Her Highness the Crown Princess would personally perform for us.”
“Shh! Quiet!”
After Diana’s exit, there was a brief intermission.
Under normal circumstances, the nobles, despite their desire to share their impressions, would have waited until the end of the performance due to theater etiquette.
But right now, it seemed their restraint was being tested to its limits.
A multitude of voices overlapped, violently shaking the air within the theater.
“There is a difference between visiting as a guest and gracing the stage.”
“That goes without saying.”
The anticipation they felt must be beyond imagination.
If Elise were to truly appear and perform for them, it would be a truly great honor, something they could boast about to future generations for ages to come.
For example, something like this:
‘Let me tell you about the time I saw Maurizio Pollini’s performance while he was still alive.’
He had planned to hold a recital in Korea as well, but it was canceled due to health reasons.
Ultimately, he passed away without ever setting foot on Korean soil.
It was a truly regrettable event.
Along with the fact that a great master had faded away.
‘It was my wish to hear Pollini’s performance live, but I never got the chance.’
But if I had been able to hear it,
I could have talked about it for the rest of my life, no matter who I met.
Pollini was the Michael Jackson and John Lennon of the piano world.
I’m not trying to compare them, but in terms of status, that’s the kind of figure he was.
Being able to see their performance is an achievement in itself.
It’s not like I’m the one performing on stage; I’m just a spectator, yet it’s called an achievement.
It sounds ridiculous, but it’s true.
The current situation is the same.
Elise isn’t even an official performer, and even if she wanted to be one, reality would hold her back.
Isn’t she the Crown Princess?
Shirking one’s duties is unforgivable in the modern age, but even more so in this other world.
Therefore, the chance to hear her perform live might be the last one ever.
If this isn’t an achievement, what is?
And amidst all this,
“I’ve heard rumors that she has ties to the Imperial Family.”
“I heard it from my father too. That Professor Anton is receiving secret patronage from His Highness the Crown Prince and Her Highness the Crown Princess...”
“So that was true.”
“Isn’t the Professor a much more impressive person than we thought?”
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[The students' whispers are reaching your ears with unnatural clarity.] [It seems the influence of the 'Memory Potion' is still active.]
I began to feel the sharp gazes of the students who had been hiding behind the stage, looking at me.
Moreover, for some reason, the conversations they were murmuring to each other pierced my ears clearly.
“This is a top-secret rumor, but my friend’s friend, the second son of Baron Sebas, apparently saw Professor Anton audience with the Crown Princess inside the Imperial Palace by chance.”
“Huk!”
“And not just once, but three times.”
“Ooht!”
“He’s even exchanging personal letters with her now.”
“No freaking way!”
The last exclamation probably wasn’t directed at me, but at themselves.
‘What the hell is with these crazy bastards?’
To think they’d casually spit out such gossip right now, when members of the Imperial Family are sitting right there in the theater.
If the box seats weren’t isolated from the outside, it would have been a disaster.
It almost turned from a festival of joy into a festival of blood.
First of all, how does that human, the son or nephew of Baron Sebas, even know that I met with Elise?
The one who settled the situation was an unexpected person.
Azabella, who had been squeezed into a corner, dramatically straightened her posture and uttered a single word.
“The students’ attitude is the face of the Academy.”
“...”
She didn’t specifically address anyone, but everyone sitting around her hung their heads deeply with awkward expressions.
Moreover, this time, Beatrice, who was next to her, also stepped forward.
“Please don’t tarnish the prestige that the professors have built up for us. I hate people who bring disgrace to their families the most.”
Her tone was a bit more blunt than Azabella’s.
Again, she wasn’t addressing a specific person.
If there was a target, it would be everyone present.
She meant not to insult me, the professor, and the Imperial Family with useless rumors.
At the same time, she was telling them to think about how that action would come back to them.
Sharing gossip is fun, but the responsibility is heavy.
If you think you can’t take the responsibility, the right answer is to keep your mouth shut.
By the way, Beatrice seems to have become a bit more combative since the incident with her brother, Dirk.
Is it because she’s an experienced person?
‘She hates people who bring disgrace to their families the most.’
She seems to have a lot of pent-up frustration.
I haven’t heard much from Erdi, who is teaching her, so I’ll just have to watch.
Anyway.
The two women’s subtle but firm scolding immediately quieted the atmosphere around them.
Whether it was fate or coincidence,
Just then, the news came that Elise’s preparations were complete.
“I’m sorry. It took a while because I had to change my dress.”
“It’s fine...”
As soon as I saw Elise slowly walking from behind the curtain, I was at a loss for words.
The skirt of her dress swayed gracefully in an antique style.
Deep navy blue and silver blended together, giving the feeling of watching the sway of waves.
Her black hair fluttering over her slender shoulders and her blazing red eyes were both dignified and elegant.
Her dazzling figure honestly inspired awe.
It was as if she was personally demonstrating what happens when a figure like the Crown Princess decides to dress up.
It was truly overwhelming physical presence.
I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
“Ah.”
But staring at her so blankly would be rude, so I quickly turned my head and escorted her.
“Please take good care of me today.”
Just before stepping onto the stage, Elise made a request.
“Please tell her to take good care of me too.”
“I’ll take good care of you.”
“Good.”
What is this?
Is she the type who feels a sense of responsibility and tries harder when she hears words like that?
As if my guess was right, her expression was much more relaxed than before.
Soon after,
Elise nodded and gave the signal that she was ready.
Victor and I opened the curtains from both sides.
She walked out onto the stage, where the moonlight was still shining softly, step by step, slowly.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
As Elise’s figure, previously hidden in the shadows, was revealed, the audience rose from their seats as one and began to applaud reverently.
Usually, at a recital, the performer greets the audience first, then sits at the piano.
And at the end of the performance, they receive the audience’s cheers.
But this time was different.
There was no one who would sit there muttering, ‘Let’s see how good she is,’ as the Imperial Crown Princess personally ascended the stage.
While she walked toward the piano, receiving the audience’s applause,
Therese, who was waiting in the box seat, also had an expression filled with anticipation.
Her eyes sparkled.
Her hands were clasped together as if in prayer.
“Hm?”
Ruhan, who glanced at Therese, let out a short exclamation as if it were nothing.
“I thought you hated the piano? I still remember you looking at it with utter disgust.”
“You seem to be mistaken.”
Therese pouted her lips and answered sullenly.
“I like the piano, and I like my sister too.”
Well, it’s true.
There was a time when she hated both of them so much she couldn’t stand the sight of them.
That’s undeniable.
Ruhan was probably reminiscing about that time.
But thanks to Anton’s intervention, the situation was resolved long ago.
The sound of the piano that used to torment her every dawn had disappeared, and her sister was also pouring her efforts into her duties.
Therese threw a sharp glance at Ruhan, with the Emperor between them, then turned her head back to the front.
Waiting for the music her sister had once played for her.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The introduction rang out like the prelude to a gentle story.
Emotions that had been dormant slowly awakened and began to stir.
The soft melody created by Elise’s right hand was gently embraced by the rhythm of her left hand.
Clear touches and appropriate pedaling.
The notes, falling cleanly without clumping, spread warmly to the audience like her very breath given sound.
For Elise.
The melody, becoming stronger and more poignant.
The notes, connected by a legato that wasn’t excessive, resonated heavily in a corner of the heart.
Love and loss.
And even regret.
The timbre felt from her fingertips was indescribably beautiful, yet it felt as if it were churning with something.
Certainly,
It was because she was pouring out all the emotions drawn from the depths of her soul.
It wasn’t excessive.
It was just amazing that the piano sound transcended the realm of a simple instrument and rang out like someone’s true voice.
‘Was Elise’s skill at this high a level?’
There is a phrase I always emphasize.
Pour your emotions into it.
Don’t just strike the keys; make them sing.
It sounds easy, but it’s not such a simple technique.
Emotions, by their very nature, are an extremely difficult concept.
If there’s not enough, it’s bland; if there’s too much, it’s chaotic.
The best is when the listener receives exactly the amount the performer intended.
Not too little, not too much.
It’s impossible to achieve in a short period of time.
It’s a technique only the great masters can pull off.
It’s very similar to how masters in martial arts novels handle their internal energy; controlling the power they possess down to the finest detail and manifesting it is truly the realm of the pinnacle.
If one can do it at will, they are already a superhuman.
If a performer is playing a piece at that level, the superhuman level, so to speak,
There is only one reason.
They understand the piece perfectly, or even beyond that.
‘For Elise’ is her favorite piece.
I haven’t asked, but I know.
Because it’s a score created for her alone.
And right now, she’s even buffed with a memory potion.
She probably had the affection to begin with, and on top of that, a spoonful of confidence.
If you add self-belief to the emotion of love, this is unstoppable.
Right now, Elise’s ‘For Elise’ is Elise herself.
Elise has become one with her music.
It’s not understanding; perhaps it’s the stage of divine possession, or being possessed.
She’s just striking the keys, but for some reason, it feels like she’s speaking.
Through the piano.
The soft-resonating melody holds warmth and longing.
The notes that sometimes strike strongly hold a poignant longing.
As if yearning for something.
As if revealing her innermost feelings.
All the audience held their breath and listened intently to that sound.
As Elise’s fingertips touched the keys, the gentle melody became a story.
The story became a memory, and the memory became a trace, leaving a deep afterimage.
In the center of that swaying stage,
Her movements were like a tree in a storm.
It was now impossible to tell what was her intention and what was her will.
She was in a state where she had escaped the gaze and noise of the world, breathing only with the music itself.
A state of selflessness.
‘To think I’d see such a side of Elise in my lifetime.’
I never expected it.
Of course, I can’t ignore the effect of the potion, but this shows just how sincerely she had been approaching the piano all this time.
So there was a reason for all that confidence.
I’m starting to regret calling her desire to play a march greed.
Why was she so anxious in the first place?
It seems she was crushed by the pressure of not being allowed to make a single mistake, even for a moment.
But.
I have to be careful.
Elise has indeed become one with the piece, presenting a stage far beyond expectations, but,
Extreme immersion means being unaffected by the surroundings.
That includes myself as well.
She is not controlling herself right now.
‘If someone were to cross that boundary in this situation...’
It would be the end.
In martial arts novels, don’t they say that if you recklessly wake someone who has fallen into a state of selflessness, their internal energy can run wild and their vital points can reverse?
The same applies to Elise right now.
The most dangerous things in a theater.
The first is a cell phone ringtone, and the second is coughing.
The latter is a physiological phenomenon, so it can’t be helped, but the former is a serious crime.
In the worst case, it could break the performer’s immersion, and a performer who has lost their immersion will feel extreme stress.
Why did such a thought suddenly occur to me?
Is it because her performance is too perfect?
I’ve attended dozens of recitals, but I’ve never had my performance interrupted by someone else.
And yet,
I have a strangely ominous feeling.
“Haa...”
As I let out a small sigh, the first movement of ‘For Elise’ came to an end.
And then, as if waiting for this moment, a series of incidents began to unfold.