Mikhail had shared with the former emperor in advance that our goal with this visit was to stop the Selesnoa Marquessate’s new law from going into effect. Needless to say, he’d relayed that information to his wife. The fact that she’d inquired about Olga’s piano proved that she knew the full story. Irina being Olga’s grandmother had been an unexpected surprise, but I thought Clementina had intended to stop that law from the start.
I couldn’t help but wonder what might have happened if we hadn’t come here today—if the law had been put into action. What would Clementina have done when it reached her ears?
I don’t know, but the thought scares even me! It’s no wonder Lydia turned into a Haniwa!
I kept thinking about Lydia, but the former empress seemed to have been leaving her out of this conversation on purpose, so I didn’t say anything. Olga and Clementina kept talking. When Clementina learned that Irina had passed already, she shed a few more tears. However, she wiped them away almost immediately.
“Knowing that she was happy until the end...that makes me happy as well. Today was a wonderful day, I must say.” Clementina turned her gaze to each of us, one by one. “For the first time in a while, I feel like singing. Will you listen? This is a song Irina once taught me.”
She stood up, walked to the stage...and sang.
It was the song of the moonlit flower and the butterfly warriors—the very same Olga had performed at the musical evening.
The former empress was in her sixties, meaning she’d already passed her heyday as a singer. Nevertheless, the voice of the woman who’d been chosen by the God of Music at a young age, who had spent the rest of her life chasing the pinnacle of music, was beyond otherworldly.
“The moon blooms in the sky,
And for one night, a flower blooms upon the lake.
Now is the time for death.
Now is the time for love.
Their wings of steel quivering,
The warriors take flight.”
An instant was all it took for her to transport my soul to the world of music. My body was still in one of the seats of the detached palace’s outdoor theater, but my mind was with the butterflies, and my eyes were on their struggle. Now that I saw them, clear as day, they didn’t appear to be steel-winged butterflies at all; they were young men. Sparks flew as their swords clashed, blood spraying like so many red blossoms. I saw that happening again and again in different eras. No matter how many times it ended in blood, the youths couldn’t stop themselves from wanting, from rising, and every time, they picked up their swords.
Their zeal, their agony, and their sorrow seeped into my heart. They were alive, and I was with them. I found myself wanting what they wanted, seeking what they sought, until their lives scattered, again.
I knew that what I was envisioning were the insurrections the song hinted at—the silhouettes of the youths who’d risen against oppression and fought for freedom, only for their hopes to be quashed time and time again. The song spoke of butterflies with wings of steel, but the true meaning of the lyrics appeared oh so vividly to those who listened to Clementina’s voice.
How does she do that?
But that question was driven away to a corner of my mind, and before I knew it, my tears had started flowing.
When Clementina finally reached the verse about the last warrior reaching the flower, my mind conjured the image of a fatally wounded soldier dragging himself into the embrace of his lover. He closed his eyes, never to open them again. That miserable yet beautiful ending was the last image I saw.
Then, the song ended, and I felt as though I were waking up from a dream.
Onstage, colorful lights sparkled around the former empress. The God of Music was celebrating her. Her eyes, however, weren’t on the lights. She was looking at Olga and Lydia.
She’d sung as a gift to these two young girls who aspired to pursue music.
Olga and Lydia must be dying to go practice right now so they can reach her level.
The thought made me smile, and I wiped away my tears.
This song was about the Selesnoa Marquessate, and Olga and Lydia, two noble girls in diametrically opposite positions, had listened to it together. Despite how odd that was, I suspected their shared experience would lead to positive change one day.
Soon enough, a carriage from the Music Sanctuary arrived. The passengers bowed to all of us respectfully, then invited Olga and Renato to join them.
“This is all happening thanks to you, Lady Ekaterina,” Olga told me in tears, right before she left. “I don’t know how to repay you.”
“You and Lord Selesar earned this honor with your own abilities,” I said, smiling and shaking my head. “If your voice weren’t such a treasure, I couldn’t have done anything. Congratulations, Lady Olga.”
Olga started sobbing even harder as she clung to me. For a few moments, I hugged her while she cried. Next to us, Renato was in the middle of thanking Mikhail, but most of their attention was on our showy interaction.
“Um... Do your best. I’ll be supporting you,” Renato said.
“Erm, yes, thank you. I’ll do everything in my power to be more like the two of you,” Mikhail replied.
Part of their conversation reached my ears, but I found myself utterly confused.
Hey, Prince? You should be supporting them, not getting Renato’s support. What’s up? Do you want to become a musician too?
Little did I know that I’d once again completely misunderstood Mikhail’s intentions.
Olga and Renato’s departure was our cue to leave the detached palace too.
“We hope you’ll be back soon. Both of us will await your next visit eagerly,” the former emperor said.
I could tell he actually meant it. After thanking him and Clementina profusely, we excused ourselves and returned to the carriages.
While we walked, Lydia didn’t say a single word. I was worried about her, so I invited her to ride with us in the same carriage. The fact that we’d left her out on the way here still bothered me, to be honest.
However, Lydia refused. She said she had to think about some things alone, so I didn’t insist. Besides, we weren’t going back to the academy but to our respective residences, so it would have been inefficient for the three of us to ride together.
To my surprise, after a long pause, Lydia muttered, “Thank you for your invitation.”
She wouldn’t look at me, but judging from the blush on her cheeks, her words weren’t sarcastic. It was a relief to hear her sincerity.
We bid her farewell. Just like on the way here, Mikhail and I boarded the same carriage, while she got into another.
“That’s one more rival to get in my way...” Mikhail mumbled to himself as we sat down.
“‘To get in your way’? Who’s getting in your way?” I asked, confused.
“No one. Don’t worry about it. Today was really quite something, wasn’t it?”
My curiosity about what Mikhail had meant was quickly replaced by my strong impression of the crazy day we’d just lived through.
“It certainly was!” I enthusiastically agreed. “I imagined we were in for some surprises, but I never expected things to turn out this way. Lady Olga and Lord Selesar are splendid performers, but to think they would receive an invitation from the God of Music right in front of Their Former Imperial Majesties! And I was so surprised to find out that Lady Olga’s grandmother was Her Imperial Majesty the Former Empress’s close friend. Knowing that, I’ll never have to worry about Lady Olga’s piano again!”
“Speaking of that piano, you ended up saving House Selesnoa today. The Selesnoas now owe a debt to the Yulnovas.”
Huh? My Japanese side was screaming, No, no, no. I didn’t do it to help them, and this was entirely unforeseen, so they don’t owe me a thing!
Actually, that was a fact. But that didn’t negate what Mikhail had said. In the middle of a power struggle between noble houses, I had to hold on to any favors I did them—regardless of how they’d happened—and milk them for all they were worth.
I need to get used to these things for my brother!
“Lord Selesar and Lady Florus’s statuses aren’t so far apart that it would’ve been an issue anywhere else in the empire, since they’re the son of a viscount and the daughter of a baron, but the rules of the Selesnoa Marquessate would’ve made things difficult for them. Now that they’ve been invited to the garden of the God of Music together, however, their statuses will be equally elevated. I’m sure they’ll find happiness now. Truly, so many good things happened today.”
Sorry? “Uh, Prince Mikhail... What do you mean?”
“Huh?” It wasn’t often that Mikhail looked so openly surprised. “Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed that those two are infatuated with one another?!”
Excuse me? Whaaaaaaat?!
“I-Is that true?!” I gasped out.
“Well, yes. Lord Selesar almost confirmed it outright.” Mikhail tried to hold back his laughter, but he eventually couldn’t and it burst out of him. “Ha! Ladies usually notice such things faster than men do. I see you’re completely blind to the matters of love, even when they don’t concern you.”
I was flabbergasted—and having déjà vu.
In my past life, I’d been told about how lovey-dovey so-and-so looked now that they were finally together and going, “Huh?” only for my friends to scream, “How could you not see it?!” Some of my friends had looked exasperated, while others had practically gotten mad at me. The same thing was happening today!
But I can’t help it! Renato looked like her coach from hell! When in the world did they get romantically involved?!
Come to think of it, Renato had started calling Olga by her name, forgoing the “Lady” somewhere along the way. I should’ve known then, shouldn’t I? But I... I...
Argh! I can’t believe the prince called me blind when I’m the big sister here! I’m never getting over this shock!
By the time the carriage arrived at the Yulnova residence, I still wasn’t over it. Mikhail seemed worried, but he said goodbye to me nonetheless, and I left the carriage.
At that moment, a voice called for me: “Ekaterina.”
“Brother!”
The sight of Alexei waiting for me by the entrance filled me with energy, and I ran into his arms. He hugged me tight, of course.
“Brother! Thank you for coming out to welcome me home. But you’re the head of our house! You shouldn’t do such things.”
“I wanted to see you as soon as I possibly could. The time we spend apart stretches endlessly. I feel as though it has been a thousand years since you left.”
Needless to say, it had only been a few hours.
“Oh, brother!” People said absence made the heart grow fonder, but Alexei was taking that a step further, transforming a few hours into a thousand years.
I don’t expect anything less from him!