It was time to focus on my main occupation, which I had momentarily neglected while being devoted to the role of a duchess.

“Even if I have to sacrifice my soul, I will certainly raise the nation’s prestige.”

Since I made such a grand commitment in front of the Emperor, I should produce results worthy of it.

As a serious answer came out of my mouth, Sophie quickly nodded her head.

“I see. Then how long do you think that will take? Will it be finished before dinner?”

“Well, if it’s quick, about three hours…”

“Ah, that’s enough time for dinner-”

“If it takes longer, it might be about a thousand hours.”

“…Pardon?”

I gave an ambiguous smile towards Sophie, who opened her mouth wide.

There were roughly two months left until the Founding Day celebration.

Even if I had to pour all that time into it, I had to create a masterpiece.

The Founding Day celebration was a stage where my orchestra would gain great fame, and at the same time, it was the execution ground to bring down Edward.

That alone was reason enough to burn with enthusiasm.

But above all…

“I shall allow you the very last stage. I look forward to it! The emotion that the granddaughter of a master will present to me, transcending time.”

Recalling the Emperor’s words, I bit my lip.

With my grandfather’s name at stake, I absolutely couldn’t do this carelessly.

* * *

“Is she still in her bedroom?”

“Yes. Since yesterday evening, continuously.”

“Since evening? My goodness, does that mean she hasn’t slept at all?”

“It seems so.”

Sophie bit her lip as she listened to the conversation of the ducal household’s servants.

‘Surely… she wasn’t serious about a thousand hours, was she?’

To the point where she resented herself for laughing it off thinking it was a joke, Ariana had been dedicating herself solely to composing since yesterday.

“Oh, Miss Sophie.”

“Ah, hello.”

Sophie exchanged awkward greetings with the servants who recognized her.

Among them, a servant named Linda approached hesitantly and spoke.

“Um, Miss Sophie. The lady treats you without distance and quite easily, doesn’t she?”

Linda’s voice revealed undeniable disappointment as she said this.

It had already been about two months since Ariana entered the mansion as Dante’s fiancée.

When Dante first brought news that he was bringing home a fiancée, not even a lover, the servants were shocked.

The Dante they had observed showed not the slightest interest in serious relationships with women.

Unlike the rumors circulating that he brought female singers to his bedroom every day, the servants had never once seen a woman rise from Dante’s bed.

What kind of person would be the woman such a master brought home?

The servants’ expectations soared, and finally, the fiancée they met was…

‘She was beyond imagination.’

Linda suddenly recalled the moment she first met Ariana.

An elegant and calm demeanor that was hard to believe for someone just twenty years old. Pristine beauty and deep eyes that always seemed to be thinking about something.

Perfect etiquette rivaling that of royalty.

Moreover, due to her appearance that seemed cold when she kept her mouth shut, Linda had been extremely nervous.

However, the very next day, all of Linda’s prejudices were shattered.

“I-I’m so sorry, my lady…!”

On the day she went to bring Ariana her breakfast, she accidentally spilled sauce on the bolero Ariana was wearing.

Looking at the cream-colored bolero stained with dark gravy sauce, Linda didn’t know what to do.

To ruin such an expensive-looking garment!

It was the very next day after Ariana had arrived, so she might have thought the servant was being territorial and gotten even angrier.

However, Ariana’s reaction was shockingly nonchalant.

“Ah. It doesn’t matter. It’s something that will go out of fashion soon anyway.”

Saying that, Ariana added in an indifferent tone.

“Just throw this away. Since it’s a simple matter, there’s no need to report it to anyone else.”

Unlike her casual tone, there was a deeper meaning embedded within it.

It meant she would keep this incident a secret between the two of them so that Linda wouldn’t get scolded by her superiors.

Moreover, Ariana’s discarded bolero truly went out of fashion not long after.

The fashion house that had popularized the bolero design closed down due to some kind of scandal.

‘Her foresight was amazing too. As if she had seen the future and come back.’

Linda fell completely in love with Ariana’s qualities, and above all, her angelic heart.

However, getting close to Ariana was not an easy task at all.

Ariana was kind and gentle, but she never seemed to remove the certain wall she had built around herself.

As if… she was someone who would disappear soon, leaving everything behind.

Feeling an unnecessary sense of urgency, Linda urged Sophie.

“So why don’t you go in and try to stop the lady? Try to persuade her to eat something too. Please?”

At Linda’s desperate look, Sophie steeled her resolve.

“Alright. I understand.”

With determination, Sophie knocked on the door. Fortunately, a voice immediately responded, telling her to come in.

Sophie entered solemnly, but the next moment she was startled.

Rip, riiiip.

Ariana, who had been tearing up sheet music, made eye contact with Sophie.

“Ah, Sophie. You’re here?”

“…Eek.”

Sophie covered her mouth with both hands.

The area around the sofa where Ariana was buried was already full of debris from torn white paper.

Above all, Ariana’s complexion was shocking.

‘What on earth happened…’

“What’s the matter, Sophie?”

The gentle smile directed at Sophie was as pretty as always, but dark shadows hung beneath her beautiful emerald eyes.

“What’s that in your hand?”

Sophie tightly gripped the newspaper she had brought.

She had brought it to show her an interesting article that had appeared in today’s gossip column.

Former servants of the Lopez mansion expose Edward Lopez’s character!

It seemed the servants who were fired from the Lopez mansion yesterday had thoroughly badmouthed Edward to the newspaper.

She had rushed over wanting to share this interesting spectacle with Ariana, but…

Sophie hid the newspaper behind her back. That didn’t seem to be the issue right now.

“What’s wrong, Sophie? Can’t sleep?”

“Pardon? My lady, what do you mean…?”

Sophie stammered with fearful eyes.

“My lady, it’s morning now. I slept well and woke up.”

“Huh?”

Ariana looked out the window with a puzzled expression, then slightly opened her mouth.

Sophie was shocked at that sight. You didn’t even know morning had come?

“My lady! Don’t tell me you didn’t sleep at all?”

“Hmm… time has already passed like this.”

Ariana smiled awkwardly.

“I was a bit troubled because nothing that came to mind was satisfactory. Ah, you came at a good time, Sophie. Would you like to listen to the phrase that just came to me?”

“What? Ah, yes. Of course!”

Could I, who knows nothing about music, really be of help?

Sophie was flustered, but seeing Ariana instantly approach the piano, she couldn’t say anything.

“Now, listen.”

With those words, Ariana began to play the keys.

Sophie slowly opened her mouth at the melody that started in a clear C major.

“Goodness. It’s beautiful…”

Would this be the sound if baby angels in heaven played the harp?

Sophie was shocked by the ethereal performance that was almost sacred.

“Really?”

Ariana said, furrowing her fine brow.

“Then would you like to hear this too?”

Sophie’s mouth opened even wider at the next piece of music.

“My goodness. This one seems even more beautiful!”

No, to be precise, they were both so good that it was impossible to choose between them.

But Ariana’s expression turned serious upon hearing the response.

“So you’re saying they’re both just mediocre.”

“What?! That’s not what I meant at all!”

“Saying they’re both good means it doesn’t matter which one, right?”

“Huh?”

A bewildered Sophie opened and closed her mouth.

‘They’re both good’ and ‘Either one is fine’ might sound similar at first, but the nuance was completely different.

“But I’m serious! I truly like them both!”

Sophie cried out desperately. She had never resented her limited vocabulary so much before.

However, Ariana already seemed to be not listening to Sophie’s words. Stroking the keys, she murmured quietly.

“This isn’t enough.”

‘It needs to be so powerful that the moment you hear it, you think it has to be this one. It needs to be music that impactful.’

Being in the last slot was certainly a good condition. It allows leaving the most vivid impression.

But conversely, it was also a position where if you present something similar to the previous pieces, there’s a high chance of making people tired of it.

‘Simply being beautiful isn’t enough.’

Special and unique.

It had to be music that could create ripples in the hearts of the listeners.

Grandfather would have surely done so.

‘Surely, there must be a breakthrough somewhere…’

Her heart tightened with frustration, as if she had taken the wrong path from the beginning.

Ariana’s face sank glumly as she fiddled with the piano keys.

Sophie’s heart ached as she watched that sight.

‘Is this… what they call an artist’s agony?’

She didn’t know much, but she had heard that artists face such hardships. Thinking that way, Ariana’s worried appearance looked even more impressive.

This was an area Sophie couldn’t help with at all. In her regret, Sophie could only bite her lip.

Ariana, who had become a duchess and even seen her former fiancé who betrayed her fall from grace, should be filled with joy more than anyone else.

‘Even His Grace the Duke probably can’t do anything about this, right?’

Ariana would insist that she and Dante were bound by a contract, but Sophie didn’t think so.

‘There’s definitely something in the way His Grace looks at my lady…’

As proof, Dante only smiled when looking at Ariana.

When looking at others, he would either exude a chilling coldness or, even if he smiled, it was closer to a sneer, but only when looking at Ariana did he wear a genuine smile.

When he smiled with eyes sparkling full of amusement and interest, his already handsome face seemed twice as good-looking.

It was like watching a plaster statue sculpted by the golden ratio suddenly coming to life.

‘Well, they say art is a solitary endeavor.’

No matter how much His Grace cares for our lady, he probably can’t help her in this state.

Thinking this, Sophie unconsciously turned her gaze out the window, and a moment later, her eyes widened.

“Oh? Is that…?”