Only after I've played a couple more songs, ones that weren't initially included in my list, did my performance truly end. It could be said that playing last had brought so unexpected benefits, since I was able to extend my ti much longer than any of the other perforrs before .
Observing the faces of the spectators, the first one I noticed is of course my teacher who was looking at with a proud expression, a beaming smile plastered on her face.
She has at long last witnessed the fruition of the years of effort she had invested in teaching and, for my first ti performing on stage, I hope I did not disappoint. Seeing her in the crowd, I purposefully turned towards her and bead a bright smile of my own, to let everyone else know that we were related sohow.
The crown princess, who is seated beside Aerin, was also looking at . She was also applauding and looked pretty curious and interested herself, albeit only mildly. The two younger royals also offered their applause, pleased with what they heard. As for the empress, a few slow claps was all that I earned before she returned to her usual lazed state.
The other people, presumably officials and the head of the ducal houses, also offered their applause. Then, as for the most surprising spectator, Countess Rosenthal, she also offered her genuine applause from the back as she watched together with her son.
Thus with a bow, I made my exit amidst the eyes of my please audience.
When I returned to the backroom, it was already mostly deserted. It wasn't until I returned to where the audience were that finally soone greeted . Obviously, it was Aerin, already standing by the end of the corridor,
When she saw , her eyes imdiately lit up. "You looked so good up there. You were nothing short of breathtaking," she said as she pulled to a tight embrace. Instantly, she started ruffling my hair which she had just fixed half an hour ago. "Well done, really. You did a good job."
Her breasts were right up on my face and I could almost breathe in its milky scent mixed with her sensual perfu. The warmth of her chest imdiately spread across my face but she didn't seem to mind in the slightest.
"Teacher, let go"
"Co, a few of them wants to talk to you." she said, grabbing my hand as she stringed along back to the guest area.
Just a few monts after, one of the people from the audience approached . He was a brown haired man with elegant bearing. He wore large rimd round glasses and looked to be the intellectual kind of guy.
"I see that you're actually familiar with the lady of the Incaross family," he said warmly, giving a respectful nod to Aerin. "No wonder you were able to show a great level of appreciation for culture."
"Your words honor , good sir." I reply politely, to which he seems to take delight in. "All that I know, I owe to my great teacher,"
"It seems that your teacher has taught you well," he said. "Not just in skills, but in manners and humility as well," he tacked on.
It seems that despite his praises, he still considers him and the other nobles to be "above" . That's why he was so pleased with acting humble.
"I'm Leo Grendle, I hope to see more from you in the future." and with that he shook my hand and walked away.
After him, ca a few other people. They call ca to greet and said just about the sa thing: "A surprising display of finesse for a commoner", "You have a refined taste", and so on and so forth. Almost all of them seed to relate it to being Aerin's apprentice but she always made the effort to tell them that it wasn't her, but all .
It wasn't until a few minutes later that soone interesting finally walked up to .
"So there really was so truth about the age old adage of saving the best for last," the crown princess said as she walked towards .
Without her trying to exude the tyrannical aura that she had emanated earlier, it allowed to properly appreciate and notice the elegance of her bearing. For soone that is said to be perfect in so many different, her appearance is just as flawless as every other aspect of hers.
Her red hair imdiately stood out from the crowd of blondes, brunettes, and black haired individuals that I had t so far. Her blue eyes were perhaps her most ordinary feature, though that didn't lessen her beauty in the slightest but rather complinted her aesthetic nicely:
A peerless maiden from an exalted lineage, blessed with an unrivaled bloodline and boundless resources.
"I'm surprised I've never heard of you before, or is this your first ti playing for the public?" She stopped just right in front of before she asked.
I gave her a courteous bow, given her high standing, and replied: "Yes, it is my first ti. I'm very honored to see that the princess has appreciated my ager work."
She let out a lodious laugh at my words. "No need for false modesty," she said. "After receiving so much praise tonight, how can you still think your performance was rely 'ager'?"
"But that doesn't really matter. I'm pleased with what I saw, and I'm curious as to what other things you can achieve," she said softly. "I would've gladly taken you under my wing but it looks like you're already under soone else', so I shan't be rude."
Aerin, who was standing right beside the two of us, smiled at the princess's words of moderation and show of respect to her. So she said:
"You are too kind, Your Highness. I have been fortunate to guide his beginning steps and teach soone of such aptitude," Aerin chid in. "I'll see to it that his talent will be allowed to bloom to its fullest potential."
"You'd do well to nurture his rare talents," the princess replied. "And from what I'm seeing, it doesn't seem like music is the only thing your pupil is gifted at." she added, a glint appeared in her eyes.
Her words imdiately caught my attention. Is she just like the Countess? Or does she have other ways to detect the level of a person's magical prowess? Nevertheless, the princess seed genuinely pleased with what she saw in , and thus didn't hesitate to add:
"Though I won't be able to oversee his education and training myself, I still wish to be able to support a young talent's growth."
"Since people have told of your common descent, allow to beco one of your patrons," the princess said, offering a warm and generous smile. "I will gladly help ease your material worries so that you may have more ti and energy to focus on cultivating your gifts for the benefit of our empire."
At the side, Aerin looked surprised. Though earning soone's patronage is part of the reason why she wanted to play here, she did not expect the princess to be the one to offer her patronage first out of every guests in the hall.
Before she can say anything, I already replied: "Your generosity is beyond asure, Your Highness," I saw with a bow.
She chuckled. "Oh, but it is not without expectation," she explained. "My patronage does not co free. I will naturally look for results and perhaps request so small favors or services from ti to ti."
Wishing to remain in the princess's good graces, I replied diplomatically, "Your Highness is too kind. Whatever small services I am capable of rendering would be my privilege and honor."
The princess smiled, pleased by my response.
"Well spoken," she said graciously. "So long as our interests align, I trust our partnership will be fruitful and you will achieve great things that bring credit to us both." then pausing for a little bit, she continued. "You can expect the gift so ti around this week, as well as any special request that I may have."
After saying that, the princess took her leave and attended to the servants and the other coordinators of the banquet.
During our conversation, I wondered if I should've brought up my mother to the princess. However, I ultimately decided against it, concluding that it would be more prudent to first establish greater familiarity before revealing that connection and employing it as a ans of drawing us closer. Rather than using that information to imdiately initiate our friendship, I judged it best to allow our rapport to develop organically at first
From the side, Aerin said to . "See? It's your first ti performing and you already landed yourself one of the best and wealthiest patron possible," she chuckled.
I returned her excitent with a remark of my own before asking. "Do you think the princess noticed my mana?"
"Hmm.. I'm not sure, since I don't know much about her. But I won't be surprised if she did." explained Aerin. "At her level, she could probably see soone's magical expertise by simply feeling how refined and pure their mana are."
I nodded at Aerin explanation.
After the princess, no one else from the royal family ca and greeted . The Empress remained seated at her seat and as the host of the entire event, she wouldn't leave as long as there's any guest remaining.
However, it was only when I was seated at the table again that a rather unexpected person ca forward.
"You truly surprised earlier," said the Countess Rosenthal. "To be honest, when I initially heard you begin performing an unknown lody, I beca concerned about the notion of you playing an original composition. I thought that such a distinguished audience wouldn't be appropriate for a novice to debut an inaugural piece. Failure here would haunt the rumors of high society."
"However, your songs, all of them, were truly pleasant to the ears," she said.
"Thank you for your kind words," I reply.
Looking from behind her, I can see Damien's fed up expression as if to say 'just when are we going ho?'. I could truly sympathize with that look but unfortunately, his mother had no intentions of letting go just yet.
"Hearing the princess's words earlier, I realized that I might've been too stingy with my offer." she suddenly says. "I am the one requesting the most of you, yet I seem to be providing the least. However, if both the Princess and Lady Incaross are already covering your financial needs, then I suppose you have no use for any more excess funds."
"That doesn't an I won't give you money. I still will, lest I appear miserly in high society. I'm rely saying if you have other requests feel free to voice it or write it to in a letter," she said.
"Then I'll make sure to do so," I say politely. "I am grateful for your generosity as well."
To think that the stupid rules among the aristocracy about the conventions of keeping face and noble dignity would actually benefit in such a way. Simply because the princess offered generous assistance, the countess felt compelled to exhibit greater generosity as well. I didn't expect it, but it was a welco surprise nonetheless.
After saying that, the countess excused herself. She then paid her respects to the royal family before leaving together with her son.
"That's the second one you got," Aerin chuckled from the side.
Just like that I did not have to worry about performing any of the difficult jobs that most people typically do in order to earn a living. People undervalue how much wealth wealthy individuals are ready to spend on trivial matters, especially when it cos to maintaining their public image.
The entire concept of luxury brands back on Earth was founded upon that very sa principle.
"Life almost seems easy if this is all it takes to secure myself a living and more," I say wryly.
"You say that, but more than a dozen people have perford earlier, and yet only you caught the attention of soone to the point that they were willing to be your patron," she replies. "That is skill and has only entirely to do with you."
"Though people of this class can be pretty.. outrageous.. with the way they burn through their money, they don't just open their pockets for just about anybody. I don't want you having the idea that you just got lucky and that's why you are where you currently are," she rubbed my back as she said so.
She's really been paying attention to my words or mannerisms, trying to prevent any sort of bad ntality from settling in early.
"Should we go? Your mother must be worried sick for you."
I look at the clock, and see that it's already a quarter from 11. The encore earlier took a lot longer than what I had expected, plus the few guests that wanted to talk to afterwards. Though the scheduled end for the banquet was at 10, I actually stayed for almost an hour longer.
"Yeah. I think I should go ho now," I reply.
Aerin nods and first tells to say my respects to the Empress before leaving. Since there's only so few people left, there weren't as much pressure and eyes on when I, a commoner, suddenly started walking towards the Empress's direction.
Aerin accompanies and makes the introductions. "Good evening, Your Majesty," and the Empress turns her gaze upon us.
This was the first ti I saw her up close, so there were a lot more details in the Empress's appearance that I noticed that I hadn't noticed before. I already knew that the one side of her hair fell in front of her face, covering the other half of her face, almost as if she was going for an emo look.
However, I underestimated just how languid and sunken her eyes actually looked in person. Her eyes weren't blue, like that of Sofys's. Rather it was a beautiful mixture of red, gold, and a little purplealmost like the color of the dawn sky.
It's just a sha that there were barely any emotions behind such beautiful eyes, as if she was tired or disinterested from everything after having lived for so long.
"This is my pupil, Maelriel." Aerin said and the Empress gave her a perfunctory nod. Though I was from humble origins, I bowed low and politely. Her distant gaze road over briefly before she turned back to her other guests.
Aerin touched my arm. "Co, we mustn't impose further," she whispered.
I was actually surprised by how accepting Aerin was of what could be considered a blatantly dismissive and rude attitude, even for an empress. And yet, for soone who held such a high status even among the aristocracy, Aerin actually paid it no mind.
Aerin walks with out of the palace and into the cool night air.
"Is the Empress always like that?" I ask.
Aerin first turns to and, with surprising caution, actually looked around first before replying. "The Empress has been that way for as long as I could rember, even back to when I was a child."
"Maybe there was a ti when she too laughed easily and took joy in simple things. But I wouldn't know of that. She was already alive for more than a century before I even ca into this world."
Eventually, the two of us arrived at the familiar carriage that we had used to travel to the palace for the banquet earlier that evening. Aerin helped into the carriage and followed after, taking a seat across from . As the carriage jostled into motion and started moving through the quiet city streets, I reflected on the strange and eventful night I had experienced.
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