🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 12
“Ivel will be pleased to hear that.”
Victor brushed back his black hair as he dismounted.
The secret residence had been built with security as a priority, so it was well soundproofed. There was no way to know what Ivel was doing inside.
‘It hasn’t been that long since I last saw her, but it feels like quite a while.’
Standing at the entrance, he reached for the doorknob—then paused.
A very faint sound of a violin was coming from inside.
‘Did she know how to play the violin as well?’
Unexpected.
But the violin’s inherently melancholic melody and the delicate vibration of its strings suited her rather well.
“Oh my! Your Grace, I’ve been waiting!”
“Granny Vanya.”
“And Konrat, it’s been a while.”
Granny Vanya and Colonel Konrat naturally knew each other. He was the son of a distant relative of hers.
Having frequently interacted with relatives since childhood, Konrat treated Granny Vanya almost like his own mother.
He had often received her help while growing up.
“Now, now. Both of you gentlemen, please listen to the young lady’s performance. And do give her some applause. This Vanya isn’t a musician, but it’s my first time seeing someone play the violin so wonderfully.”
Humming as she tightened her apron strings, the old woman headed to the kitchen, and the two men moved to the drawing room to wait for dinner.
They were also curious about Ivel’s performance.
“She’s quite talented.”
Before looking into the drawing room, where the door was half open, Konrat grinned and glanced at Victor. Victor lowered his voice in reply.
“Why don’t you play the reed flute alongside her? She’d like that.”
“Oh dear, how could I dare add a reed flute to such a magnificent performance?”
“She really would be pleased.”
The Ivel he knew wasn’t someone who expressed joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness openly. But if one observed her closely and for long enough, it became apparent.
How the corners of her eyes trembled slightly when she was happy, how her lips twisted in a certain way when she was displeased.
She was more transparent than one might think, and he found that agreeable.
Her personality was so easy to read, yet others didn’t notice her purity.
Perhaps it felt like having gained a piece of a proud cat’s heart.
“……”
Not wanting to interrupt her mid-performance, he stood by the doorway and watched her.
The glow of the sunset seeped into her round face. As her movements grew faster, her long, loose hair swayed.
Unfortunately, since they had arrived midway through, the performance was already nearing its end.
When she set the instrument down, Victor entered, applauding.
“Chopin’s Nocturne No. 2. A splendid performance.”
“Your Grace.”
“Let me introduce you. This is Colonel Konrat von Eberstein.”
Ivel’s shoulders trembled slightly.
So slightly that one wouldn’t notice without looking closely.
Then she approached with careful steps and greeted him.
“…Nice… to meet you. My name is Ivel.”
“Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
After straightening up, Ivel quietly stared at Colonel Konrat. Just before he could look at her curiously, she gracefully averted her gaze.
“Granny Vanya said dinner will take a while. If you don’t mind, may I play another piece, even if my skills are lacking?”
“Not lacking at all. Among ladies your age who aren’t violinists, I doubt anyone could play at that level.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
It is said that one’s true nature cannot be hidden when performing music.
Because personality seeps into the melody.
Konrat, too, had been born a noble, had heard countless performances, and had received a refined education. His ear was well-trained.
Thus, when this polite young lady took up the bow again, he couldn’t help but admire Ivel’s wit and ingenuity.
No—he was completely captivated.
“Schubert’s Military March! My wife and I are very fond of this piece.”
Worried about disturbing her, he lowered his voice as much as possible, but Konrat’s shoulders were already bouncing.
This lively piece was often played at festivals, to the extent that many soldiers taught it as the very first piece to their children.
Moreover, for a performer to play a military march in front of a soldier was considered the highest form of respect.
“She’s expressing her joy at meeting you, Colonel.”
“Yes, I can feel it. She must have chosen that piece because I’m a soldier.”
Chuckling, Konrat looked at the young lady who would become his adopted daughter with eyes full of fondness.
He continued to use formal honorifics because, even as an adopted daughter, she would become a Grand Duchess.
‘I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried, but I trusted His Grace had arranged things well. My wife also came out of her gloom upon hearing she would gain a daughter.’
But this lady… no matter how he looked at her, she far exceeded Konrat’s expectations.
‘How is she so composed? That upright posture—almost as if she had served in the military.’
Though he had inadvertently stumbled upon the truth, there was no one to confirm it for him. It was merely a thought he kept to himself.
After listening contentedly to the short performance, Konrat went to dinner with a pleased smile.
‘What a relief. It went according to plan.’
The atmosphere that followed was, naturally, warm and cheerful.
While continuing various social conversations, Ivel felt a slight sense of sentimentality as she looked at the living Konrat.
‘He liked the Military March the most. He used to play it on the reed flute every time.’
That was why she had prepared for a month. She wanted to present that piece to him as soon as he arrived.
Since she wasn’t the type to say embarrassing words aloud, conveying her feelings through music was the best she could do…
‘I think he understood.’
The corners of Konrat’s wrinkled eyes kept crinkling, and his mouth curved into a delighted smile.
In the end, it was Victor who had to lay the thoroughly drunk colonel onto the bed.
Soon after, Victor approached Ivel, who was cooling off in the garden, and spoke in a low voice.
“Are you prepared?”
“More than enough.”
“Well, it’s not as if there’s anything you can’t do.”
“That’s right. I even went to war pretending to be a man.”
Taking care of a rough boy was nothing.
She would try it first, and if it proved too much, she would ask the Grand Duke for help.
The Victor she knew would listen carefully and offer a solution.
If she was becoming the wife of a man she trusted to that extent, what was there to fear?
Her life would change completely, but she wasn’t giving up her dream of practicing medicine, her partner wasn’t some sagging-bellied old man, and it wasn’t as though she wouldn’t be paid later. For Ivel, everything was fine.
“By the way, about your favorite color and type of flower—what you said earlier.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Were those all true?”
Even in the darkness, his blue eyes were clearly visible. Perhaps because his gaze held more force than that of an ordinary person.
Entertaining a stray thought, she nodded.
“I like navy blue with low saturation and brightness the most. And I like orange jasmine as well.”
“Did you grow orange jasmine at home?”
“There was a tree. I cherished it dearly, but one day it withered and died.”
As she said that, Ivel’s profile remained expressionless.
Watching her, Victor asked carefully,
“Did someone kill it on purpose?”
“My brother, Abel.”
“I see.”
That topic ended there.
After exchanging a few more words, the two headed to their respective bedrooms to sleep early.
Or at least, Ivel did.
Victor had agents he could command even late into the night, and what orders he gave them…
That would be revealed in a couple of days.
The carriage journey to Bayern was not as awkward as she had feared.
The colonel, Granny Vanya, and the aide Matthias were to come separately, and she rode alone with Victor in a large carriage. It was clearly luxurious, as the ride was very comfortable.
The two were mostly quiet, but whenever they did talk, it was usually about reminiscing over the shared experiences they had.
The differences between how she viewed the war and how he viewed it made for a good topic of conversation.
“In the end, that war will break out, won’t it?”
“I will stop it.”
“Do you think you can prevent the King of Franze from mocking our king?”
