A procession of enormous carriages was gliding into the duke’s residence.

Sophie narrowed her eyes slightly.

Judging by the lack of family crests on the carriages, they weren’t guests, so they were likely merchant carriages.

‘What’s this? Oh, could it be!’

Had the duke summoned dressmakers or jewelers again?

Everyone in the territory knew that Dante was buying expensive dresses and jewels for his new bride.

Sophie’s face brightened. Perhaps seeing beautiful and expensive things would improve Ariana’s mood.

“My lady, my lady! Merchant carriages are arriving. It seems the duke has gifted you something again!”

“…Oh. Is that so?”

However, Ariana’s reaction was different from expected.

She glanced at the clock, as if estimating how long a dress fitting would take.

There was no sign of joy or excitement in her demeanor. Sophie quietly felt disappointed.

‘Well, she’s the type who didn’t even notice when Elena openly took her dresses…’

Someone who was like that even as a child probably wouldn’t have their mood lifted by dresses now.

“My lady.”

Soon, the head butler Oren knocked on the door.

“Merchants sent by the master for you have arrived. Could you vacate the room for a moment?”

“Ah. Of course.”

Ariana rose with an obligatory smile.

“Yes, please take your time. I’ll send in the instrument merchants after you come out.”

“Pardon?”

Ariana’s head snapped up.

“Did you say instrument merchants?”

Sophie had never seen her lady’s eyes shine so brightly before.

* * *

Thump, thump.

Her heart was beating rapidly. It wasn’t just because she hadn’t slept much.

“My lady, I’m told all the instruments have been set up in the music room.”

Ever since the head butler had told me that earlier, I couldn’t hide my excitement.

Since morning, numerous carriages had been coming and going from the duke’s residence. The servants said they were all instruments Dante had bought for me.

From that moment until now, my heart hadn’t stopped pounding.

‘Was I always this attached to instruments?’

I was startled to realize my footsteps were like those of a child rushing to unwrap a birthday present.

I had thought one piano was enough for composing.

But thinking back slowly, it seemed I had thought that way because there was no other option.

‘Lucas only ever gave me one piano, acting like it was such a grand gesture.’

So for a very long time, the piano was the only instrument I could freely play.

For the rest, I had to imagine them in my head while composing. Still, I could write sheet music, so Lucas probably felt it was quite cost-effective.

“Ah, you’ve arrived, my lady.”

The head butler, who had been inspecting the music room, bowed politely upon seeing me.

As I looked inside, I slowly held my breath.

‘…Ah.’

The soft chandelier light slid down like a veil over the peach-colored grand piano.

Glossy violins, cellos with delicate and elegant curves.

And above all else…

My gaze was drawn to the presence occupying an entire corner of the room.

The divine instrument said to be modeled after an angel’s voice.

A harp, shimmering like it was carved from diamonds, captivated the eyes with its graceful form.

‘What is all this…’

Even encountering a treasure room full of gold and jewels wouldn’t evoke this feeling.

I was at a loss for words as I looked around the room filled with all manner of rare instruments.

A room of my own, filled with tools that produce various kinds of sounds.

It was as if a dream I had only imagined as a child had taken shape exactly like this.

“The master said to let him know if anything is lacking.”

Lacking?

I absentmindedly caressed the strings of the violin and cello.

Everything was top quality. All of it.

Especially that harp… it was dizzying to even imagine its value.

As if entranced, my feet carried me before the harp.

When I gently plucked a string, an incredibly ethereal sound rang out.

‘Ah…’

Feeling like I might cry for some reason, I hastily lowered my head.

After my maternal grandfather passed away and our family fortunes began to decline, my father sold the harp first.

That was my last memory of playing the harp.

“Can you play the harp too?”

Startled, I turned around.

I wondered how long he had been there.

Dante was leaning against the wall, his jet-black hair lightly tousled, too dark for even the evening sun to color.

“Your Grace.”

I greeted him reflexively, inwardly flustered.

Did he just ask if I could play the harp?

…Did he bring all these instruments without even knowing if I could play them?

‘The harp is one of the most expensive instruments.’

I wondered what value money held for this man.

I had heard rumors that the reward money he had accumulated from successive victories since his youth was so enormous it made the assets he inherited from the duchy seem trivial, but…

Swallowing my surprise, I replied in a deliberately calm voice.

“Yes, though I’m not very skilled. My grandfather taught me how to play most instruments.”

As I spoke, I carefully sat down before the harp.

My grandfather especially loved the timbre of the harp. Recalling those memories, I placed my fingers on the strings.

At first it was a bit clumsy, but soon my fingers began to move more smoothly, and beautiful notes started to ring out.

‘Ah, what a relief.’

My body remembers.

‘I thought I had completely forgotten.’

It seems memories etched into the body don’t disappear so easily.

Like memories of days spent sitting beside my grandfather as he played the harp, nuzzling against my mother and acting spoiled.

How long had I been lost in the past like that?

When I stopped playing, I suddenly realized how eerily quiet my surroundings were.

‘I wasn’t expecting applause or anything, but…’

…Was he still there?

Perhaps he had left because the performance went on too long.

With such thoughts, I carelessly turned my head and momentarily forgot how to breathe.

‘…Ah.’

Eyes that didn’t allow even a speck of light, backlit, were staring at me.

With an expression as calm as a bottomless lake, impossible to read what he was thinking.

‘Since when…’

Since when had you been looking at me like that?

An intense sense of déjà vu struck me.

Dante had gazed at me with that same look when I played the piano before.

A silence thin as frost spread through the air.

In that precarious balance that seemed it would shatter at the slightest wrong breath, I froze as if time had stopped.

“Did I say it before?”

Suddenly breaking the tension, Dante approached me.

“That it’s a captivating talent.”

“…”

My heart leapt once, forcefully.

“I want it.”

His gaze, not hiding his longing, took my breath away.

A naked desire, like a child reaching for something shiny, was shadowed in his eyes.

Feeling my palate go dry, I slowly moved my lips.

“I’m already exclusively yours, Your Grace.”

“That’s right.”

Dante reached out to me.

I couldn’t move at all as I watched his large hand entwine with mine, which had been resting on the harp.

“And yet I keep feeling thirsty.”

I shivered slightly at the sensation of our fingers intertwining.

Dante leaned his waist towards me.

I gently bit my lower lip.

Just meeting his gaze from so close felt like being swept away by a tidal wave.

“I wonder how much I need to possess before I feel I’ve completely obtained you.”

His hot palm cupped the back of my neck.

It felt like my whole body was being consumed by the hot, humid heat.

“What do you think?”

What do I think?

I exhaled a shaky breath. One thing was certain. Dante had already crossed the line.

He had effortlessly torn down the walls I had clearly drawn boundaries around and built high, and invaded.

Moistening my dry lips, I gave my answer.

“I am your wife now, Your Grace.”

Dante’s eyes widened slightly.

“So you may do as you wish.”

In exchange for being the stepping stone for my revenge, I would offer this man my talent and myself. That was the contract we had made.

“Is that so?”

A dark glint flashed in his red eyes.

“If it’s what I desire.”

His fingers came close, lifting my chin.

“Will you allow anything?”

I slowly nodded. I felt ensnared in a spider’s web, but it was a web of my own choosing.

“…Yes. Of course.”

“Good, then.”

Dante pulled my waist close as he curved his lips upward.

I unknowingly squeezed my eyes shut. I could feel his fingertips grazing my lower lip.

As I tried to gather my trembling breath, aware of my lips parting slightly, a low voice sounded from very close.

“Sing for me, Ariana.”

I heard an illusory thud, as if my heart had sunk to the floor.

Opening my eyes, I gazed up at him blankly.