“Today, we’ll follow this notation directly and understand how Kito secured his victory. How about playing a game after that?”

“I don’t mind. I want to do that too!”

For a while, I was lost in the notation, oblivious to the passing time, and then I looked up.

“……!”

“……?”

My eyes met Roger’s. Then Roger quickly looked away. There was a discomfort in his expression.

“Do you see this knight? It’s also an astonishing move…….”

For about two hours, the Duke of Fenton and I examined Baron Kito’s notation from the match held today.

The Duke of Fenton explained each move that I hadn’t noticed, in great detail. Every time, I felt a sense of awe toward Baron Kito.

“Yawn.”

“……?”

The sound of yawning broke my concentration.

“Ah, sorry…….”

Roger, who was accidentally caught yawning, hurriedly apologized. He awkwardly coughed a few times, embarrassed.

Only then did I realize that Roger and Yurik were beside me. Roger looked lifeless, and Yurik was emotionlessly flicking his fingers without a sound.

I felt even sorrier for neglecting them, being engrossed in chess.

“Ah, more time has passed than I thought. Shall we stop here for today? Lise. If we also duel, it’ll be dinner before we finish.”

“Yes, that’s fine.”

The Duke and I cleaned up the chessboard. Yurik, who was watching us, came to help as well.

“Thanks, Yurik. But why is Yune so quiet?”

“……She’s probably sleeping.”

Yurik spoke in his usual prickly tone. He must still be angry.

“Yurik, how about playing the board game I bought you last time? You only played it once with Yune.”

“I don’t really want to…….”

“Let’s try it this time. I’d feel bad if you didn’t play it since I went to the trouble of buying it for you.”

The Duke suggested, as if he recognized my desire to reconcile with Yurik. Yurik was reluctant but could not rebel against his father’s request.
“It will take time to find it. I forgot where it is.”

“You must have treated it very carelessly.”

“Don’t misunderstand.”

Yurik said tersely, moving his heavy footsteps.

“Well then, shall I go take care of the remaining work? Make yourself comfortable. Roger, Lise.”

The Duke went into the study to handle the remaining business.

Roger and I, sitting side by side on the sofa, silently ate the whipped cream cake in front of us. Though we were full, the sweetness made it go down well. Roger was also absorbed in eating and didn’t speak.

For a while, we ate the cake in silence, and when I looked up, I met Roger’s eyes.

“……Was chess fun? Time seemed to fly as we talked.”

Roger finally asked.

“Yes. Isn’t it the same when you play the violin? I feel the same when I play chess. Thinking about how to corner the opponent’s king is quite thrilling.”

“Devil.”

“What can I do? That’s the game.”

“……Sorry.”

Roger mumbled in a soft voice. I put down the fork I was holding at the sudden apology.

“For what? Calling me a devil?”

“……No, for reacting sensitively.”

Reacting sensitively? I tilted my head, unable to understand.

“Shouldn’t you be apologizing to Yurik, not me?”

“He was the one who first threw a punch at me.”

“Then why are you apologizing to me?”

“Just……I felt that you really enjoy chess.”

Suddenly?

“Are you feeling unwell?”

“It’s not that! I feel like I know how much you respect the Marquis of Kito……But I insulted your teacher.”

I pushed the cake away and stared at Roger. He continued to lick his lips and finally spoke.

“I also had a professor I admired. A violinist. The one who taught me.”

“Really? Who?”

“……Dardas Basang.”

I was surprised at the name he uttered. Dardas Basang was someone even I, ignorant of music and violins, knew well. A genius violinist and a member of the Imperial Orchestra.

But there was only one reason I remembered that name.

“You mean, the Dardas Basang I know?”

“Yes.”

Abuse and assault and fraud.

The suspicion that he had abused his students or promising violinists slowly surfaced, and the case grew.

As one whistleblower came forward, several others emerged, and he was completely ostracized from the artistic community.

It was shocking that a genius violinist had committed a crime, but the greater shock was that the victims were his students.

And now, the boy in front of me had just revealed that he was a student of Dardas Basang.

“……I admired him and wanted to become an excellent violinist like him.”

“…….”

“But I was relatively lucky. Being the heir to an artistic family, and perhaps because I had famous relatives, he didn’t bother me easily.”

He said calmly.

“But a few times, his behavior was harsh. I didn’t know at the time, but I realized after everything was revealed.”

I couldn’t even imagine how Roger must have felt. Even I, who hadn’t experienced anything, felt a chill in the back of my head.

“Since then, I’ve practiced the violin alone. Trusting no one. Many people wanted to nurture my talent, but I refused them all.”

“Roger.”

“I never wanted to be like Dardas Basang. I didn’t want to be someone who played the violin for some purpose. To prove this, I took up the bow again.”
자신이 이루어야 하는 바를 확고하게 정했다. I firmly decided what I had to achieve. Roger’s words that he would boldly teach me the violin came to my mind. Was this also to prove that he was different from me, that he was different?

“Enough. I don’t want to talk about this now. It just makes me feel bad.”

Roger changed the subject.

“……I’ll prove it to you.”

“What?”

I slowly opened my mouth.

“I’m learning the violin from you. So I’ll learn well and prove it to people. You taught me the joy of playing the violin.”

“……Wh, what are you talking about?”

“It’s not a joke. I’ll make sure to be a pride, so I’m not ashamed in front of others. A proud student, a proud friend. Whatever you call it.”

“……Do as you please.”

That was all he said.

“Alright, since it was a misunderstanding, how about getting along with Yurik now?”

“Why is the conversation going there?”

Roger said with a bewildered expression.

Why, the two got along quite well. Just looking at their personalities.

One was cool and collected in everything and cared about the eyes of others. The other was expressive and wanted to show off to others. So they might complement each other’s shortcomings.

At that time, there was a sound of footsteps on this floor. Turning my head, Yurik was standing there, holding not a board game but a doll.

“What is that? That doll.”

It’s a doll I stitched. Did he completely get angry because he touched the doll without permission?

“Yu, Yurik. That’s……!”

I was about to apologize hastily, but Yurik hugged me before I could continue.

“……Huh?”

“Lise.”

He was different from when he was firmly upset.

“What are you doing?!”

Ignoring Roger’s scolding next to him, Yurik held me tighter in his arms.

“Lise, I was wrong. I got unnecessarily angry……. You’re always considering me.”

“What?”

“Sorry! From now on, I won’t be greedy. So don’t hate me……!”

Could it be that he’s doing this because I stitched the doll?