I glanced at Roger sitting in front of me, but immediately averted my gaze when his eyes pierced through me.

Roger turned his chair around and rested his chin on the backrest. It wasn’t just his sharp eyes that were scary. If my posture was off, he would immediately strike my body with the bow he was holding.

Even now.

“That hurts!”

When I couldn’t take it anymore and burst out in a disgruntled voice, Roger immediately frowned. Good heavens. None of the gentleness he showed when he first taught me the violin could be seen anywhere.

Unlike when he taught me step by step back then, now there was a tiger teacher standing in front of me.

I had been completely fooled.

“Bad posture.”

“…!”

“You keep touching the wrong places.”

“….”

When Roger pointed it out, I was at a loss for words. Roger’s words that I had no talent for the violin were one hundred percent true. My posture was still awkward, and even when I was just plucking one string, I kept touching the wrong places.

The bigger problem was that even when I plucked the wrong place and made a sound, I didn’t know that the sound was wrong. On the other hand, Roger was born with a natural perfect pitch, instantly catching even the slightest off-key sounds. Moreover, Roger was an extreme perfectionist.

He also had a very irritating personality that would snap at the slightest mistake.

“Lize.”

“Yes, yes. I’m sorry. I’ll start over from the beginning.”

It was even worse that our personalities clashed. The closer Roger got to me, the more he showed his hidden stubborn personality without restraint.

“I told you that’s not the place. Lize.”

“You’re right. I’ll try again.”

When I gathered my courage to make a sound again, Roger’s sigh was heard without fail. I, too, was slowly getting angry and frustrated, wanting to put down the violin I was holding.

‘This damn violin!’

The violin was a very tricky instrument, making strange sounds even with the slightest wrong touch. I sometimes thought that maybe people with big fingers couldn’t play the violin.

To help me when I was struggling, Roger put stickers on the positions where I should press the strings. But it was still difficult to find the exact notes.

I was about to put down the bow, my patience reaching its limit.

“Children. I brought some snacks. Have some before continuing.”

At the perfect timing, Mrs. Bakus quietly entered with a plate of macarons. Last week she gave us homemade cookies, and the macarons were slightly warm this time too, as if she made them herself.

Overjoyed, I carefully put down the violin and bow before Roger could say a word. Roger didn’t nag me any further since I had been working hard.

“Is the practice going well?”

“Yes. It’s going perfectly well.”

I was dumbfounded by Roger’s robotic answer. As if to prove he was a mama’s boy.

He was angry with me just a moment ago, but now he says the practice is going smoothly.

‘So that was going well, Teacher.’

As I looked at Roger, he poked my waist with his elbow. I almost dropped the macaron in my hand because of that. But I couldn’t fight with Roger in front of Mrs. Bakus, so I just glared at him slightly.

“What about you, Lize? It’s been 2 weeks now, are you enjoying it?”

Mrs. Bakus asked me.

“Yes. It’s very fun.”

But I wasn’t a pushover either. I lied with a natural smile on my face.

This time, Roger looked at me with suspicion in his eyes. I secretly poked his waist with my elbow, just like he did to me. Unlike me, Roger couldn’t hold back and immediately dropped the macaron on the floor. The outer part of the macaron that Mrs. Bakus had made was slightly crumbled.

“Oh my, Roger! Be careful!”

“So-sorry. Mother.”

Roger picked up the macaron while glancing at me once.

“I hope you two can perform together someday. Isabel would like that too.”

“Is that possible?”

“What do you mean possible?”

“For Lize’s skill level to perform with me….”

Roger said sincerely. I was upset by his honest words and wanted to hit his side again, but I held back.

“I’ll work hard. Mrs. Bakus.”

“Yes. Ah, I’ve interrupted you too much, haven’t I? I’ll leave now so you can continue practicing.”

With those words, Mrs. Bakus immediately left the room.

When it was just me and Roger again, we glared at each other without a word.

“You think you can perform with me in this lifetime with that skill level?”

“Hmph, then we can do it in the next life. We’ve already lived once, you think there won’t be a next life?”

“I don’t know what you’re saying, but I don’t think you’ll make it even two lifetimes from now.”

“Have you ever been hit with a violin bow?”

This brat provoked my competitiveness.

“I haven’t, but you should be careful yourself. You might end up getting hit if you carelessly wave it around.”

“You mama’s boy.”

“Mama’s boy? What’s that?”

Roger asked.

“It means you and Mrs. Bakus are very close.”

“I don’t think that’s what it means. Well, it’s true that we’re close though.”

Yes, you’re so close that I’m really jealous!

Roger and I exchanged a few more words and then resumed practicing. They say talent is important, but effort can’t be beaten. I was determined to practice every day and make Roger’s jaw drop.

With that mindset, I studied hard.

* * *

I stretched out in the carriage. Although I could only practice for about an hour, unlike usual, because something came up for Roger, my energy was drained. It was probably because I kept arguing with Roger while practicing the violin.

‘What should I do when I get to the mansion now?’

If I lay down, Isabel will scold me for being lazy and slow…. If I read a book, she’ll say something again…. If I play chess, she’ll put it away right away….

I might end up being dragged around by Felicia and Bernard, who return from school around dinnertime, while only taking care of Swel and Silke’s aftermath.

‘Bernard is the same age as Yurik, but why are their actions so different?’

I kept wishing that Bernard, the second son, would be at least half like Yurik. If that was difficult, I hoped Rodney Marsen, the eldest son who was staying in a boarding school, would come home soon. He also tended to be somewhat capricious, but he was the one I got along with the best among the siblings.

‘I just don’t want to go into the mansion.’

Since we finished an hour early, I thought about slacking off.

That thought soon turned into a plan and was immediately put into action. As soon as we arrived at the village where the Marsen mansion was located, I got off the carriage.

“Young lady! You’ll get scolded by Madam again for wandering around in secret!”

“When have I not been scolded? Go to the mansion first. Don’t mention anything about me!”

After sending the carriage to the mansion, I quickly headed to the library. Perhaps I could meet Yurik there.

I saw the marketplace, a shortcut to the library. Hosha Village Market was so famous and spacious that it was always crowded with people, but to get to the destination without passing through here, I would have to go around half the village.

With my violin case on my back, I walked through the marketplace, passing by 「Mermaid’s Tears」. Just then, my eyes briefly met with the master’s, who was trying to organize the curtains inside the store.

“….”

“….”

Unlike me who was just staring blankly, the master smiled awkwardly and immediately averted his gaze. Then, without finishing organizing the curtains he was working on, he turned his body and went inside the store.

How grumpy.

I also moved my steps again. I walked carefully, protecting my violin case, but my shoulders kept bumping into others. My steps were unsteady.

If I had known it would be like this, I should have taken the half-circle route. If I fall, my dress will get dirty.

‘Don’t fall. Don’t fall…!’

“Ah!”

Just as I feared, I fell. Fortunately, I fell forward instead of on my back, so I could protect the violin I was carrying, but my palms felt stinging as if they were all scratched up. If Isabel sees my scratched hands, she’ll say something again….

“I’m sorry, little one. Are you okay?”

The person who bumped into me supported me, not knowing what to do. I first checked if the violin was alright and then brushed off the dirt on my dress.

“I’m really sorry. I couldn’t see well in front.”

“It’s alright.”

I lifted my head to look at the face of the man who fell with me. The man had such a neat attire and tidy appearance that he seemed clearly aristocratic at a glance. On the other hand, his face was hidden as he was pressing down on his hat and his mouth area was all covered with a scarf.

‘No wonder he can’t see well in front like that.’

He also seemed somewhat suspicious.

“Are you really okay? Your hands are all scratched.”

“It’s nothing.”

“I’m sorry… huh?”

The man who was examining my hand lifted his head to look at me. As soon as he did, his expression changed as if he had met his long-lost daughter.

“…You!”

“Yes?”

Does he know me? But I had no acquaintance with any aristocrats other than Mrs. Bakus and Mrs. Penton.

“What are you doing there?”

A voice was heard from behind, as if the middle-aged man had a companion. Soon, when that companion appeared, my actions were momentarily paused. That man with silver hair and purple eyes just like Yurik was definitely someone I knew.

“Ah, Aimar.”

“…What’s going on?”

“Ah, I just fell over with this child for a moment.”

When I heard that name, it became certain. He was indeed Duke Penton.

Why was he at the marketplace at this early hour? He should have been working at his trading company in the capital.

While I was flustered, the Duke also noticed me.

“…That’s a familiar face.”

“Ah, hello. I’m Li-Lize Marsen.”

I hesitated but eventually greeted him. Then, the Duke showed no expression other than surprise, as if he wasn’t very pleased to see me.

“Right, nice to meet you.”

“….”

“By the way, are you done looking around the marketplace? I’m slowly getting tired.”

Duke Penton was indifferent to me. That was natural. The relationship between my father and Duke Penton was famously not good.

I tried to quietly leave the scene, worried that the atmosphere would become awkward for no reason. My priority was to go to the nearby river and wash my dirtied hands.

As I was about to quietly move my steps, someone grabbed my shoulder.

“Wait a moment! That child!”

“…?”

It was the man who had bumped into me.

“I was right! I said she was one of the Marsen children! That child, that child!”

What did I do? Did I make a mistake without knowing? While I was getting scared, the man was smiling brightly, looking very happy to see me.

“That child? That child is only ten years old. Kito.”

“That’s right! It’s definitely her! Aimar!”

I flinched at the familiar name. Kito… Count Kito?

He was the one who had sent me a letter. He was also a famous figure that everyone knew. Surprised, I stood there stupidly, forgetting even my scratched hand.

“You said your name was Lize?”

“…Yes.”

“I’m sorry for the sudden introduction. Actually, I sent a letter to the Marsen household to find you, but I didn’t receive a reply. So I thought you were a child from a different family, not the Marsen household. I’ve been searching for you.”

He slightly lowered his scarf and smiled kindly. Only then did he reveal his kind face along with his protruding gray hair. I recalled his portrait that I had seen once in a newspaper.

He pulled up his scarf again to cover his mouth, as if afraid his face would be exposed.

“Why didn’t you reply?”

“Ah, I didn’t see it.”

I answered, still dazed. The letter was taken to the park to read in secret from Isabel, but I lost it.

“I see. It seems the letter was sent to the wrong place.”

“…But why did you send me a letter?”

I was curious.

“It’s too noisy here. Shall we go to the square and talk?”

“Pardon?”

“Please spare some time for me, who has been searching for you all this while. Lize.”

At Count Kito’s words, Duke Penton, who was beside him, remarked.

“You’re really stubborn.”