“It’s been a while since I’ve been to a concert.”

Ioan said calmly.

“To be honest, I don’t often indulge in such refined hobbies.”

Though it was the usual carriage, his overwhelming physique made the space feel cramped just by sitting across from her.

Delphine took a deep breath as if trying to replenish her lacking air before answering.

“Yes… It’s been a while for me too.”

To be precise, it was the first time since her father’s treason incident.

She had been avoiding social circles until now, but things would have to change.

‘If I want to gather even a little information about the suspicious aspects of this empire.’

As Delphine renewed her determination with a grave heart, the man sitting across from her spoke again.

“You look very beautiful today, my lady.”

Ioan smiled faintly with his red lips contrasting against his pale face.

He seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood today.

Delphine forced a smile in return and quickly turned her head towards the window.

Seeing his joyful expression made her conscience prick.

It reminded her of what she had done to him over the past week to come to this concert.

All last week, she had to desperately flatter and cater to him.

She worried it might be too obvious a ploy, but he melted easily, contrary to her concerns.

“I want to go to a concert.”

“Not yet…”

“Together with you.”

Even now, he was rejoicing as if he had come out on an outing with her.

But she was only here to carry out her mission…

Her heart stung as if filled with needles.

“A solo violin concert, my lady?”

Ioan asked her in a tone laced with good humor.

“Yes. Apparently, it’s a very famous violinist in the capital these days.”

Delphine answered while subtly observing his expression.

“…Have you not heard of him?”

“Well, I’m quite ignorant when it comes to such social news.”

He answered nonchalantly.

Was he really unaware, or just pretending?

As she scrutinized him closely, her heart kept racing, sitting alone with him in the narrow carriage.

Delphine couldn’t easily discern whether this was due to nervousness or guilt.

“We’ve arrived.”

The theater wasn’t far, being close to the 1st district.

Soon, the carriage came to a stop.

At last, it was the true start of her mission.

“My lady.”

Ioan, who had gotten off first, held out his large hand.

It was a hand she had grown accustomed to, having saved and nursed her several times.

As she carefully stepped down from the carriage holding that hand, a coquettish voice was heard from somewhere.

“Oh my. Lady Pryde.”

A pleasantly plump lady approached them, fluttering her feathered fan.

It was Countess Megan, known for being exceptionally talkative, whom Delphine didn’t particularly like.

However, seeing her now during a mission, she couldn’t have been more pleased.

“Lady Megan.”

Delphine greeted her with a gentle smile.

Just then, Ioan moved away to greet some gentlemen calling for him.

As if she had been waiting for this, Lady Megan drew close to her and whispered behind her feathered fan.

“As expected. Even Lady Pryde must have been curious about Nikolai’s performance.”

Delphine awkwardly shrank back at the sudden contact and asked.

“‘Even me’… what do you mean?”

“Oh my. You know what I mean. I’m saying, since your husband is so handsome, you must be used to seeing beautiful men by now. Hoho.”

She laughed, good-naturedly nudging Delphine with her plump elbow.

Delphine glanced aside to see Ioan surrounded by gentlemen in the distance.

“Nikolai is a different type of handsome. Look at the ratio of women here!”

Lady Megan lowered her voice even more and whispered to her.

“Why else would they come alone, leaving their husbands behind?”

“I suppose they came to please both their ears and eyes.”

As Delphine answered calmly, Lady Megan covered her mouth with her fan and crinkled her eyes broadly.

“Hehe. Is that all? A poor musician needs the patronage of discerning nobles. …Both ‘materially and spiritually,’ if you know what I mean.”

“My lady.”

It was then.

Delphine startled at the large hand suddenly wrapping around her waist.

“Oh my! You scared me!”

Even Lady Megan exclaimed exaggeratedly, as he had approached without any sound.

“Lord Pryde! How can you move so silently!”

“I apologize if I startled you, ladies. …Well then, shall we head inside, my lady?”

Ioan responded elegantly as he guided Delphine into the theater.

His hand still persistently rested on her waist.

Delphine glared at that large hand and thought suspiciously.

Surely this man hadn’t overheard the conversation just now?

Lady Megan had been whispering, and he had been quite far away receiving greetings, so it seemed unlikely.

Nevertheless, somehow, his hand around her waist felt unusually firm.

“…If you hold too tightly, it’s uncomfortable to move.”

“Ah. I apologize, my lady.”

When she deliberately complained a little, he apologized but still showed no intention of removing his hand.

“…”

In the end, Delphine had no choice but to take her seat in the VIP box without even attempting to gather any other information until the concert began.

‘There won’t be a chance to find out anything after the concert ends.’

Delphine scanned the theater interior with anxious eyes.

From the VIP box on the balcony, not only the stage but the entire theater was visible.

Lady Megan’s words were indeed correct.

Even at a glance, the ratio of women in the audience was overwhelmingly high.

The noble ladies, particularly crowded in the front seats, were all rapidly fluttering their fans with sparkling eyes.

Just as she was starting to feel strange about that peculiar excitement, it happened.

Suddenly, the high and delicate sound of a violin resonated throughout the theater.

There wasn’t even an introduction from an MC announcing the start of the performance.

Delphine quickly turned her gaze towards the stage.

On the empty stage, an incredibly tall man was now standing alone under the spotlight.

‘When did he appear?’

The man had bold features and curly brown hair.

Delphine narrowed her eyes, observing the man on stage, and thought to herself with puzzlement.

‘Handsome… is that what they call this?’

But such trivial thoughts were short-lived.

The music began to intensify.

The large man unleashed dazzling techniques with a formidable energy.

As his curly hair shook violently back and forth with his intense movements, low moans erupted from the ladies in the audience.

When the man pressed down on the strings with tremendous force, the violin let out a scream-like sound as if reaching its climax.

That sound seemed to scrape something deep inside her heart.

Delphine took a deep breath, trying not to have her mind swept away by the dazzling violin sounds.

Then, as she quickly scanned the theater, the strange aspects of this stage began to clearly come into view.

Everyone filling the theater was staring blankly at the stage with expressions as if their souls had been stolen.

As soon as the ear-splitting performance ended, people unanimously stood up for a standing ovation.

The expressions of the audience, filled with ecstasy, were so bizarre that it looked more like a fanatic gathering than a concert.

‘That man is definitely suspicious.’

La Rouge’s speculation was correct.

Although she couldn’t catch his eyes changing color, that man was worth investigating further.

It was while she was thinking this.

Suddenly, her eyes met with the man waving towards the audience.

Delphine quickly raised her hands to applaud like the other audience members.

The man’s gaze, which had lingered around her for a moment, soon moved away again.

“How was it, Lady Pryde?”

After the performance, the nobles don’t immediately leave the concert hall but gather in small groups at little tables set up in the theater corridor for tea time.

As she deliberately lingered with Ioan, Lady Megan, who had been wandering here and there, approached and struck up a conversation.

“Ah, it was truly remarkable. His performance skills lived up to his reputation.”

Delphine smiled and offered praise, appropriately matching the atmosphere.

Ioan beside her silently sipped his tea.

In contrast, Lady Megan nodded enthusiastically, her face still flushed with excitement.

“No praise is enough for Nikolai’s performance. And that amazing showmanship! Where could such a man have suddenly appeared from!”

This was her chance.

Delphine leisurely drank her tea and asked in a casual tone.

“Indeed. Where could he have come from? Usually, many musicians are from the Royal Music Academy, might he be from there as well?”

“That’s not the case. Actually, I looked into it out of curiosity… Of course, as a fan. You know, right? I so love music and take joy in supporting young musicians.”

“Of course, I know. You have deep knowledge of music too.”

Delphine smiled, reassuring her.

“Ahem. So I looked into it a bit, and there’s no name like Nikolai on the graduate list. Moreover, he suddenly appeared like a comet about three months ago, and no one had even seen him before then.”

“With that height and appearance, it’s hard to believe he wouldn’t have been noticed.”

“Exactly!”

“Well… that is strange.”

Just like Ioan, who appeared as a marquis a year ago after being a slave.

As she muttered in a serious tone, she glanced aside, but the man was still elegantly sipping his tea.