Silence fell over the gathering.

The theater where the orchestra’s performance and soprano’s singing had long since ceased.

In the unnaturally tense stillness, the emperor rubbed his temples.

“……Tomen of Karka. And Count Lopez. Follow me. I need to assess the situation.”

“Your Majesty!”

Edward cried out in shock.

“T-That man is insane! He’s talking complete nonsense! Surely you’re not going to listen to someone like that?!”

“Count, mind your words.”

The emperor said in a stern voice.

“I will not make any hasty judgments until the situation is understood.”

“Y-Your Majesty. However…!”

“Follow me. Both of you.”

The emperor turned around with a fierce air.

Edward clenched his fists, trembling, as he forcibly took a step.

Those who had been exclaiming in admiration at Edward’s performance just moments ago were now whispering in shocked voices.

“What in the world is going on?”

“If what the Karkan envoy says is true, Count Lopez has committed a terrible crime… Surely that can’t be, right?”

Left alone on the empty stage, Elena rolled her eyes.

‘W-What is this, really?!’

After that nightmarish final performance where she had to stand alone without any musicians.

She had finally overcome the trauma of that day and taken the stage again after months…

‘Why is this happening again?!’

I-It’s probably nothing. Yes… There must have been some misunderstanding.

Elena tried to comfort herself.

If she just waited here a little longer, surely her elder brother would return safely.

* * *

In the quiet room.

The emperor, who had Tomen and Edward standing side by side, sighed as he glanced at Tomen, who was glaring at Edward as if he wanted to tear him apart with his gaze alone.

‘We finally established diplomatic relations with Karka, and now this bolt from the blue.’

Karka was known as a powerful warrior nation, but due to its unique insularity, it rarely interacted with any other country.

If it weren’t for Dante, even the Empire wouldn’t have been able to form ties.

Rare quartz found only in Karka, salt, and above all, a strong military alliance.

Diplomatic relations with Karka would bring numerous benefits, so it was troublesome for things to go awry like this.

“First, let me ask carefully, Tomen of Karka.”

The emperor said in a tired voice.

“You said Count Lopez stole Karka’s ceremonial music. Is there no possibility of a misunderstanding?”

“None whatsoever.”

Tomen said with a hardened expression.

“It’s a song that every Karkan has heard all their life. There is no possibility of a mistake.”

“Hmm……”

“Your Majesty, I have brought the materials you ordered.”

A servant who had arrived in haste held out a book.

It was a collection of sheet music containing traditional music from various countries around the world, an ancient book of ancient books that would likely only be found in a place like the imperial library.

“I have confirmed that Karka’s ceremonial music is also included here.”

“Good, well done. Now we can compare… Is there anyone here well-versed in music? Ah, Marquis Roman. Come here.”

The emperor beckoned to Marquis Roman, whom he recognized among the high nobles gathered in the room.

Following the order, the marquis carefully examined the sheet music book.

“This is……”

Marquis Roman’s expression grew increasingly serious.

“There are parts that are too similar in development and composition to the music we just heard. By the Empire’s legal standards… this would be considered plagiarism.”

The testimony of Marquis Roman, famous for his love of music and lifelong patronage of musicians, carried unparalleled credibility.

“My!”

The emperor’s face contorted with bewilderment.

Realizing that the situation was turning unfavorable for him, Edward hastily cried out.

“Even if there are similarities, it must be a coincidence! To have stolen music from Karka, a place I’ve never even been… This is a false accusation, Your Majesty!”

“The ceremonial music!”

Tomen glared at Edward with fierce eyes and said.

“It is sacred music that the God of the Desert bestowed solely upon our Karka. Are you now making excuses that you, who are not even Karkan, composed such a holy grace by mere coincidence?”

“Hmm.”

The emperor let out a troubled sigh.

For a foreigner with no connection to accidentally come up with the exact same music given by a god was tantamount to blasphemy.

Tomen’s anger was intense, but it had just as much justification.

“Count Lopez.”

The emperor questioned Edward with a solemn expression.

“Is it true that you really stole Karka’s ceremonial music?”

“Absolutely not! Your Majesty, please don’t just listen to the words of such a madman—”

“Silence! Even if I were to rip out that tongue, slash it into pieces, and sprinkle it with salt, it wouldn’t be enough for this scoundrel!”

“Lord Tomen, it would be best to mind your words in front of His Majesty for now……”

As Marquis Roman tried to dissuade him while breaking out in a cold sweat, Tomen turned to the emperor with a sharp, blue-tinged gaze.

“Your Imperial Majesty. This scoundrel’s wrongdoing is not limited to theft. He even went so far as to insult Karka’s first king by altering the lyrics.”

The emperor pressed his forehead. Come to think of it, he remembered Tomen saying something like that earlier.

Well, this is one problem after another. He felt his headache worsening.

“…Give me Count Lopez’s sheet music. I need to check the lyrics.”

The servant quickly presented the soprano’s sheet music he had brought to the emperor.

The emperor’s eyes carefully scanned the letters on the sheet music.

A moment later, his expression contorted with shock.

‘Labyrinth? Bull……?’

The protagonist of the lyrics was waiting for a lover who was searching for them in a labyrinth.

Moreover, the lover was repeatedly likened to a ‘bull’.

There was something these two words naturally evoked.

‘The wild tale of the Kingdom of Karka.’

Karka’s first king was a hero who had accomplished many great adventures, and his final feat was rescuing a princess trapped in a labyrinth.

The problem was the giant cow monster lurking in that labyrinth.

The hero fell in love with the princess he rescued after slaying the monster, married her, and founded the country—this was Karka’s founding myth.

However, one wild tale said that a black magician who envied the first king cast a curse, making the king fall in love with that cow monster.

Mistaking the cow monster for the princess, the king brought the cow instead, dressed it in wedding clothes, and married it… and the Karkan people were said to be the descendants born from their union.

It was an absurd story, but the Kingdom of Karka had many who were wary of it due to its strong military power.

They deliberately spread these wild tales to mock Karka and insult them.

Saying they were monsters born not from humans, but from the womb of beasts.

‘Even if by some miracle, the overlap in music was truly just an incredible coincidence……’

For even the lyrics to be full of metaphors mocking Karka.

What were the odds of two such coincidences overlapping?

“……”

Nervous at the emperor’s silence, Edward rolled his eyes around before crying out.

“Your Majesty! How, how can you only listen to the words of such an uncivilized barbarian instead of your own citizen!”

The moment Edward shouted those words, a chilling silence fell over the gathering.

The Karkans had cut off diplomatic relations with the outside world for a long time.

Behind this was the prevalent attitude of looking down on them as uncivilized for settling in the desert. They were even treated like barbarians just because their hair color was similar.

Due to this long history, the word ‘uncivilized’ was like a sore spot for Karkans.

“……Your Imperial Majesty.”

Tomen spoke in a low, sunken voice.

Unlike his seemingly calm voice, his eyes were burning with a blue flame.

“Please grant me permission to duel with that man.”

“W-What!”

Edward was startled.

Once a duel begins, one of the two must die.

The chances of Edward, who had only learned swordsmanship as a cultural pursuit and even then quickly lost interest and abandoned it, defeating Tomen were close to zero.

“I was going to take just one finger for the theft. That’s the Karkan law. But this man has insulted my country itself. I cannot stand by while someone repeatedly sullies my homeland’s honor.”

“……”

The emperor rubbed his temples intently.

“Count Lopez.”

“Y-Your Majesty.”

Edward stammered with a desperate look.

The emperor pressed his throbbing forehead and said.

“I can no longer… defend you.”

The final insult had been too fatal. The emperor clicked his tongue softly.

“Your Majesty……”

“Silence! Why did you commit such a dirty fraud at the sacred founding ceremony in the first place!”

“Y-Your Majesty! Please listen to me! There must be some misunderstanding!”

Edward cried out desperately.

But no matter how much he racked his brains, no further explanation came to mind.

‘It’s a lie. It’s just made-up nonsense from that damn uncivilized bastard!’

Edward couldn’t understand this whole situation.

‘I just……’

He had merely slightly modified his grandfather’s last work and put it on stage as it was.

He thought everything would be perfect. And it actually was.

But why was this completely unexpected obstacle trying to devour him now?

“Your Imperial Majesty. Please grant permission for the duel.”

“Hmm.”

As Tomen spoke in a strong tone, the emperor let out a sigh.

Edward, facing the emperor, swallowed hard. There was resignation and irritation in the emperor’s eyes as he looked at him.

The emperor would abandon him.

At that dreadful premonition, Edward fell to his knees.

Thud!

Slamming both knees hard on the floor, Edward pleaded.

“Your Majesty, please. Please do not abandon your citizen! If I duel with that man, I will surely die!”

However, the emperor’s eyes only grew colder. Edward hurriedly bowed his forehead to the ground.

“Your Majesty, I beg you!”

He bowed too deeply, causing his forehead to hit the marble floor.

But even the skull-splitting pain felt dull right now.

Dignity or whatever, the urgent matter now was not falling into the hands of that cruel barbarian.

It was then.

That a pitiful yet clear voice rang out.

“Your Imperial Majesty!”