In the only concert hall of Scarletfrost City, a beautiful woman sitting alone on the stage gently pressed down on the last piano key.
As the final lingering note drifted away, the audience in the hall stood up one after another, and the sea of applause proved just how wonderful the musician's performance had been.
The woman stood up, her face brimming with tears and a radiant smile, but she did not speak. She simply lifted her skirt and bowed deeply, then gracefully and quietly left the stage.
In the highest viewing box of the concert hall, the Earl of Hardstone raised his glass in admiration to the young man standing at the edge of the balcony with a smile: "Your insight is truly commendable, Lord Hydra. In less than ten years... no, in less than five years, the Empire may welcome another musical master."
He placed his hand over his heart sincerely: "I've never heard music so full of passion and so contagious. Miss Nanaga is undoubtedly a genius, only a fool like like Cantrell would waste such incredible talent."
Anselm turned and raised his glass in response, smiling: "The talents of the Earl Scarletfrost lie elsewhere, so it's normal for him to be lacking in certain areas, isn't it?"
The two most powerful nobles in Scarletfrost laughed heartily together, a pity that the headless corpse still hanging at the entrance of Anselm's mansion could not hear it.
As the laughter subsided, the Earl of Hardstone tentatively said: "Does Miss Nanaga need a recommendation letter to the Imperial Royal Theater?"
"You should ask her, not me, Earl," Anselm replied with a half-smile.
Anselm looked at the Earl of Hardstone with a playful expression: "You might as well try to send this recommendation directly to Yura. Isn't that how you've been trying to please my Sitana?"
At the mention of her name, the girl standing in the corner, half-asleep, suddenly snapped awake and reflexively tightened her grip on the collar around her neck.
She no longer wore the overly simple brown hunter's outfit; instead, the black velvet cloak that once covered her entirely now hangs open. Beneath it, she donned a black leather bodice and form-fitting leather trousers, the texture of the garments intricate yet not overly eye-catching. Her ensembled of pure black contrasted beautifully with her neatly trimmed, snow-white short hair, which exuded both a sense of gallantry and elegance. The choker around her slender neck added a hint of vulnerability to her formidable aura, making her all the more alluring.
Of course, in the current Scarletforst, only Anselm possessed the audacity to openly appraise Sitana with such a piercing gaze.
Earl Hardstone shook his head and remarked, "Miss Sitana is a genius destined for great achievements. Regardless of what others may think, from my perspective, I'm just making a lucrative investment with guaranteed returns."
Anselm's motion of swirling the wine in his glass came to a slight halt. He gently caressed the serpent-headed cane, and his gaze at Earl Hardstone took on a hint of amusement.
"How is the situation with the Grand Duke of Ironblade, Your Lordship?"
The young noble, leaning on his cane, watched the increasingly nervous Earl as he slowly approached him.
"The Grand Duke, he... he is doing well,"
Earl Hardstone's demeanor shifted abruptly; his words were unusually dry, lacking the smoothness he usually displayed when interacting with Anselm.
Anselm looked at him for a while, then chuckled softly: "Don't be nervous, Earl. I just wanted to know how the Grand Duke of Ironblade has been lately."
Seeing that Anselm indeed had no intention of continuing the conversation, Earl Hardstone breathed a sigh of relief and then spoke more cautiously, "Lord Hydra, regarding the assassination attempt that night... after several days of investigation, I have been able to determine who was so audacious and arrogant."
Anselm simply sipped his wine leisurely, ignoring him.
After observing Anselm for a moment, Earl Hardstone continued, "It was Viscount Lundbeck and Viscount Howlingwinds. They are considered the capable subordinates of Cantrell. Perhaps your actions were... too swift, which might have provoked them into such a foolish act."
"They seem to be unaware that they have been exposed, but judging from their movements, they are probably gathering funds on a large scale, preparing to flee. Do you intend to—"
"I'll handle such trivial matters myself," Anselm said, setting down his glass and beckoning to Sitana in the corner, before finally turning to the Earl of Hardstone with a kind smile, "But thank you for your efforts these past few days."
"No, no, no... allowing an assassination attempt on you is already a significant dereliction of my duty."
The Earl of Hardstone vigorously shook his head: "Your magnanimity in not pursuing the matter has already filled me with immense gratitude."
By this time, Sitana, bored to the extreme, had already trotted over and whispered into Anselm's ear, "Can we leave now?"
Anselm reached out and pulled on her collar, pulling her down slightly, and whispered back in her ear:
"Not yet, what makes you think so?"
"Then you—ugh!"
Miss Sitana admirably managed to suppress a muffled grunt through her clenched teeth and steadied herself, not collapsing into Anselm's embrace, which was commendable.
Ignoring the fierce glare of the still-untamed white-haired dog, Anselm languidly leaned back into the sofa and continued to savor his wine.
It wasn't until the attendant stationed at the entrance of the viewing box hurried over and whispered something into Anselm's ear.
"So eager, huh..."
He chuckled, turning to look at the Earl of Hardstone: "My dear girl is waiting for me, Your Lordship. I won't keep you company for drinks any longer."
Earl Hardstone stood up to see him off, but Anselm waved his hand to decline the gesture.
Miss Sitana, on the other hand, felt as if she had been granted a pardon and couldn't wait to sprint out of there.
In the viewing box, the Earl of Hardstone watched the pair of master and servant leave until they completely disappeared from his sight, and finally, he let out a sigh of relief.
"...My Lord."
A figure emerged from the shadows within the viewing box and approached the Earl of Hardstone from behind, asking with confusion: "I could have effortlessly take the heads of those two viscounts. Why didn't you allow me to do so? If we were to offer the heads of those two traitors to Lord Hydra now, it would undoubtedly bring him greater satisfaction."
The Earl of Hardstone looked down at the departing crowd below, speaking calmly:
"And don't be too clever for your own good; that's what truly wise people do."
*
Anselm would be unaware of the brief conversation between Earl Hardstone and his subordinate after his departure. All he knew was that since Earl Hardstone had brought up the assassination attempt, he should follow the procedure and continue to handle the matter accordingly.
But before that—
"Master! Are you satisfied with my performance?"
Yura, walking ahead of Anselm, spun around playfully, her long skirt swirling with her, her face beaming with a bright and sweet smile.
"If I wasn't satisfied , why would I be here spending time with you?"
Anselm replied with a smile, "Although there are a few minor flaws, they don't diminish the dazzling brilliance you exude on stage. I've told you, Yura, you will receive an invitation from the Imperial Capital's Royal Theater, and that day won't be far off."
The woman lifted her skirt and performed a graceful curtsy, and when she looked up, her smile had turned playful and charming. "But right now, I don't care about any Royal Theater, Master. I just want to enjoy my reward time."
She walked briskly to Anselm's side, took his arm, and rested her head on her master's shoulder, murmuring dreamily:
"Even if it's just half a day... it feels like a beautiful dream that's too good to be true."
As she said this, Miss Yura turned her head to look at Sitanaand said with deep regret, "I'm sorry, Miss Sitana, I've also taken up some of your time."
Before Sitana could speak, Anselm had already said: "It's her job, Yura, there's no need to apologize."
Sitana looked thoroughly displeased, yet she couldn't voice her feelings, knowing that speaking up would likely result in a shock.
She looked at the woman's face, feeling a chill from those pitch-black, almost lifeless eyes.
Did this woman's music really sound that good? Why are all those people acting like they've gone mad?
The girl pondered with a hint of confusion.
Was she the only one feeling irritated and even getting a headache?
Author's Note:
ps:
I've tested positive for COVID, but it's a mild case. Today, my mom also tested positive, and her reaction is quite severe. I've been taking care of her, so today's update is much later than usual. I apologize for the delay.
This is a brief transitional setup, and it also reveals some of the supernatural system's settings and Anselm's special abilities. I won't write too much about it; we'll quickly move into the new storyline. Actually, I'd love to skip the setup and transition and fast-forward to the main plot, but unfortunately, that's not possible (scratching my head).
⏴ Previous chapter 丨Main丨 Next chapter ⏵
Comments
Post a Comment