“……An inspiration? What’s all the fuss about?”

Edward asked with feigned indifference.

However, the glint of greed that flashed across his eyes was momentarily clear.

“Hmm, I doubt it’s anything special. As they say, you need input to have output, and you have no knowledge of music to speak of.”

A story I’ve heard ad nauseam.

In the past, I would have felt ashamed of my own ignorance upon hearing such words. No matter how much I studied, there seemed to be no end to the music theory I had started learning so late.

Not knowing that Edward had deliberately given me textbooks with errors.

“That’s right. Compared to you, brother, who graduated top of your class from the Ende Royal Academy of Arts, I’m nothing but an ignoramus.”

I nodded with a smile, and Edward raised an eyebrow.

“Well, at least you know your place. I suppose that’s your only redeeming quality.”

“Speaking of the arts academy, I heard something strange recently.”

I said, furrowing my brow.

“The prince of Ende Kingdom was in your class, right?”

“……What are you suddenly talking about?”

“Well, I heard a rumor that the prince was actually the top graduate of that class. It seems the prince himself has been spreading such false rumors……”

I muttered with feigned seriousness and looked at Edward with earnest eyes.

“The prince is here on the island for the upcoming ‘Founding Festival’, isn’t he? When I meet him, I’ll have to ask, even if it’s rude. I’ll request that he not tarnish your reputation with incorrect stories.”

“What nonsense is that!”

Edward exclaimed hastily and cleared his throat.

“Don’t meddle in things you don’t understand! There isn’t just one top graduate. The best student in each subject is chosen, and they’re all called top graduates together! Don’t bother the prince with your ignorance!”

“Ah… So you were the top in just one subject, not overall?”

I widened my eyes as if I had just realized.

Edward scrunched his face in irritation and turned his back.

“Yes, that’s right. Now enough of this useless talk—”

“Oh, come to think of it, I think I saw a trophy in a corner of the storage room. Now that I think about it, the engraving must have been the subject name. What was it again?”

I tilted my head as I spoke.

“Was it ‘How to Be a Good Wife and Wise Mother’…?”

“That’s impossible!”

Edward whirled around and shouted.

I swallowed a sneer down my throat.

Edward, who boasted about graduating top of his class from the arts academy, had actually barely managed to be the top in just one liberal arts subject.

And that too in a subject that was on the verge of being canceled due to low enrollment.

In the Ende Kingdom, far more progressive than the Empire, there were few students who aspired to become “good wives and wise mothers.”

In my previous life, I had accidentally discovered this fact while organizing the storage room and kept it a secret.

I thought that tarnishing the reputation of Edward Lopez, the “descendant of a musical maestro,” would also tarnish my maternal grandfather’s honor.

“What nonsense are you spouting! Why would I take such a course!”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

I covered my mouth with my hand, pretending to be startled by Edward’s shout.

“I must have seen it wrong.”

“Of course you saw it wrong! You’re not a mouse, why are you crawling into storage rooms? Are you a maid? I told you not to show your lack of breeding!”

“I’m sorry, brother.”

As I lowered my head submissively, Edward clenched his fist and shook it, but didn’t dare to do anything more.

“Damn it!”

Unable to contain his anger, Edward turned back to the front, exhaling roughly.

I followed behind Edward, who was storming ahead in rage, with small steps.

Soon, our footsteps reached the lobby.

“Brother, can I play over there today?”

I asked, pointing to the grand piano placed next to the wide window in the lobby.

Edward immediately furrowed his brow.

“What?”

Edward had never allowed me to play in the lobby during our “lessons.”

He probably didn’t want anyone to see me playing.

“Stop talking nonsense and come here. How many times do I have to tell you that the piano in the lobby is precious and delicate, and you’ll break it if you touch it carelessly?”

“I’m sorry, brother.”

I bit my lip, pretending to be troubled.

“But today I feel unusually depressed… I feel like my inspiration will scatter if I don’t get some sunlight.”

“What inspiration, my foot!”

As Edward got angry, I drooped the ends of my eyebrows dejectedly.

“Do you think you’re some great artist? What’s with this sudden artistic nonsense?”

If it were any other time, he would have dragged me to his workroom in anger, but perhaps because of my words about losing inspiration, Edward hesitated to act rashly.

I slightly raised the corners of my mouth while keeping my head down.

‘He must be anxious.’

The opera commemorating St. Benedict’s Day. I remembered clearly this time five years ago.

Edward had decided to fill this quite large-scale opera entirely with his own compositions.

However, even when it was barely a month before the performance, he couldn’t come up with proper musical ideas and ended up stealing my music.

So from Edward’s perspective, the music I created was absolutely necessary at this point.

“Damn it, hurry up and play. Let’s hear how great your inspiration is!”

Edward gestured irritably towards the piano.

I thanked him gently and sat down at the piano.

As I placed my hands on the keys, a cool sensation seeped through my fingertips.

I took a slow, deep breath.

‘What kind of music did I make around this time?’

Ariana Lopez at twenty years old.

Intimidated and without confidence, with a presence as faint as a ghost.

Of course, it wasn’t much different until just before I died, but there was definitely something that had changed over those five years.

‘Memory.’

The memory of secretly rejoicing while stealing glances at the audience enthralled by my music.

The memory of realizing that perhaps I could be complete with just the music I created, not Edward.

Those memories that slowly, gradually overlapped and built up on top of my self-esteem.

“……”

I closed my eyes as I gently pressed the keys.

A clear A note resonated through the quiet lobby.

Soon, the notes began to dance in groups.

And gradually faster, accelerando.

Pouring out the passion and resentment into the flats.

Allegro, increasing the speed even more, presto. And finally, to the point of no return…

In the flood of intense, rushing sound, I let go of the oars and surrendered to the current.

Prestissimo. As I vomited my heart onto the notes at a maddening speed, a sense of liberation drenched my heart.

And then, when my fingers began to ache and my breath became ragged.

“……Haa.”

I stopped all playing.

“……”

Silence descended upon the lobby where the music had suddenly ceased.

I opened my eyes, slightly out of breath.

A strange sense of elation and fulfillment.

This sensation always welled up when an impromptu piece poured out haphazardly resonated with my soul.

Binding me so strongly that I couldn’t move a step without savoring it all.

“Huh……”

A dazed voice was heard from behind me.

I slowly turned around.

Edward’s eyes were wide open. As if someone had struck him hard on the back of the head.

Those large pupils were filled with dark, sticky emotions.

Shock, surprise. And… intense jealousy.

‘How strange, brother.’

I thought quietly.

Perhaps it was thanks to the experience of witnessing the base depths of my so-called brother at the cost of my life.

Edward’s inner thoughts were as clear as if they were on the palm of my hand.

Edward stammered as he opened his mouth.

“Really……”

The evaluation that always flowed automatically like a wind-up doll after hearing my performance once again escaped his lips.

“Re, ahem, really. Hem! It was really terri—”

Clap clap clap.

At that moment, the sound of enthusiastic applause was heard.

“Wow, wooow……”

A dazed voice exclaimed in admiration.

Sophie was clapping her hands with a moved expression.

“Miss Ariana, that was amazing. Oh my, it was truly the best performance!”

Starting with Sophie, the servants who had been peeking here and there began to clap along.

The sudden burst of applause spread like a wave.

As I slowly blinked my eyes, I soon spotted a familiar face.

“Good heavens, Ari, you.”

It was Lucas, standing there with his mouth agape.

He must have just finished his business in the bushes, as there were leaves stuck to Lucas’s shirt. His waistband was also strangely disheveled.

With that appearance, Lucas shamelessly put his arm around my neck. Instinctive goosebumps rose all over my body.

“More importantly, what was that performance just now? Since when could you play so well? What’s the title of the piece?”

“It’s an impromptu piece.”

I said with a gentle smile.

“Impromptu, you say? Good heavens, that?”

I could feel Edward behind me gripping the piano bench tightly.

“A-ahem. Well done, Ariana. It seems you were inspired by the music I was composing yesterday. It also started in a minor key, didn’t it?”

Edward forced a smile while pointing out something that was barely worth calling a similarity.

I didn’t bother to deny it and returned the smile.

“It seems so. What do you think, brother? If we polish it up, could we use it for this year’s St. Benedict’s Day opera?”

“Well. Since it’s an impromptu piece, there are too many rough parts, so I’ll have to work on it quite a bit……”

As Edward cleared his throat loudly, Lucas quickly chimed in.

“With Count Lopez’s arrangement skills, there’s no need to worry. Let’s put it in the opera!”

“Ah, ahem, yes. Then we’ll proceed with that, Marquis.”

“That’s great.”

I smiled brightly.

“I thought it would suit Elena’s voice perfectly.”

As I said this, I turned to look at Elena, who had followed Lucas in.

Elena wore a frowning expression, as if upset.

She probably didn’t like all the attention suddenly focused on me.

As all eyes suddenly turned to her, Elena hurriedly composed her expression.

“Huh? Me? ……Well, is that so?”

Then she pouted her lips and spoke in a sulky voice.

“I, um, I’m not sure, sister. The vocal range seems a bit low to fully showcase my skills?”

“Oh? That’s a shame. I just thought of the perfect title for this piece.”

“What is it, Ari?”

Lucas asked, his eyes shining with friendliness.

Lucas, who had an uncanny nose for money, would temporarily act kindly towards me like this whenever I produced a high-quality piece.

Although even that disappeared after we got married, I’m still a fish not completely caught by that man right now.

“……What is it?”

Following Lucas’s lead, Elena asked in an unwilling voice.

“Oh, well.”

I smiled brightly at her, the future prima donna of this opera.

“It’s ‘The Adulteress’s Aria’.”