Chapter 41

Thank you for reading.

Regarding the parts that have been published in book form, I have intentionally left the typos, omissions, and revisions as they are, thinking that they might serve as reference material for future readers.

Please understand.

There are people who use the typo reporting function to proofread.

I decline any reports other than those for typos and omissions.

If it becomes too excessive, I will block them.

Please bear with me.

After the singing time with Himeko was over, it seems that Regulus will go for a half-day extracurricular swordsmanship lesson with Genzou and Utsunomiya.

When I took Regulus out of the mansion during my previous visit to the capital, we rode together, and it seems that they will do the same this time.

"Aniue, I'm going now."

"Yes, go ahead. Follow what Genzou and Utsunomiya say, and don't do anything dangerous."

"Okay, Aniue, have a good day."

"Yes, I'll be careful."

Regulus's "sa shi su se so" still sounds like "sha shu sho," but he seems to be able to speak much longer sentences now.

"Genzou, Utsunomiya, please take care of Regulus."

"Yes, we will."

"Please leave it to me, Utsunomiya!"

The two of them bowed, took Regulus's small hand, and started walking towards the mountain behind the mansion.

As I watched them go, a gust of wind blew, and I sensed someone's presence behind me.

Turning around, I saw Mr. Romanov standing there.

"Hello, has Regulus left?"

"Yes, he says he'll do his best."

"Is that so? Then, shall we go as well?"

"Please take care of me!"

Holding hands with Mr. Romanov, I felt a sudden sensation of floating, followed by a feeling of falling.

I always close my eyes when I feel the floating sensation, so I can't see what happens during the transfer, which is a bit disappointing.

My heels touched something hard with a thud.

"Here we are. You can open your eyes now."

"Yes."

Slowly opening my eyes, I gradually realized that my toes were touching the beautiful wooden floor.

Raising my gaze little by little, I saw many books neatly arranged on the bookshelf, a wooden desk with the luster of tortoiseshell, and scattered sheet music.

It was a room on the second floor of Mr. Viktor's house.

The sound of leisurely footsteps stopped in front of the door.

"Hello, A-tan! And Alyosha. Welcome, it's been two weeks."

"It's been a while, Mr. Viktor. I'm glad to see you're well."

"We're here to visit, Vitya."

Blinking, I saw green eyes surrounded by long lashes that seemed to make a sound when they fluttered, filled with a gentle light.

Mr. Viktor, the owner of the house, opened the door and welcomed us with a hug.

"From the next day, Maria has been coming to her singing lessons using the method you taught her."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, and today she asked me to come for a lesson before the rehearsal."

"Oh... Then, shall we visit her together then?"

"That's right. I have the invitation, so I'll give it to you then."

"Thank you."

We were led to the living room on the first floor, where we had tea and caught up on recent events.

By the way, I took out the ice dessert that Mr. Rottmayr had beautifully wrapped in a container from my waist pouch.

"Here, it's a souvenir. Please have it with your tea."

"Thank you. Let's have it right away."

Unwrapping the package, a beautifully shaped, light pink sorbet sat in a glass container.

Mr. Romanov had a distant look in his eyes, but Mr. Viktor, unaware of this, scooped up the sorbet with the small silver spoon that came with it.

As the pink ice dessert slid into his well-shaped lips, Mr. Viktor's eyes widened in surprise.

"Wow, there's a peach inside!"

"It's very sweet, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's delicious...! Is peach a specialty where you're from?"

"No, it's a gift."

Shaking my head, Mr. Viktor moved the spoon while saying "Oh" and "Hmm."

After finishing the last spoonful, he smiled contentedly, and Mr. Romanov, who had been looking distant, spoke up.

"When does the rehearsal start?"

"Well, the performance is in the evening, so it should be starting soon. Maria is waiting for you, so let's go."

After clearing away the empty container, we prepared to go out.

Just like before, we set out into the city, with me in the middle.

The National Theater is said to be a bit closer to the central palace than the joint shrine I visited before.

The midday market was bustling with people.

Posters were posted on the shops, and the face of the lady in the picture looked a lot like Maria.

Noticing that I was looking at the poster, Mr. Viktor chuckled.

"Today is Maria's debut."

"Debut?"

"Yes, as a court singer. Until now, she was a singer for the second prince, but from now on, she will be a representative singer of the empire."

I didn't quite understand, but I realized that Maria's patron was not just anyone.

As we approached the National Theater, the road became more orderly, and cypress trees were planted on both sides of the main street, making it look more impressive.

The buildings were different from those near the market, with large mansions that looked like they belonged to nobles, with white walls and conical roofs.

As I casually looked at the row of mansions, Mr. Viktor spoke hesitantly.

"A-tan, you know... this street...?"

"Yes, I know. I shouldn't stare at the noble mansions, right? I'll be careful."

"No, that's not it... The Kikunoi Earl's mansion is also on this street."

"Wha!?"

I was surprised by the unexpected words, but thinking about it, it wasn't strange for them to have a mansion in the capital.

The question was whether my parents were there or not.

Even if I met them, it wouldn't be fun, and they probably wouldn't be happy either.

Frowning, Mr. Romanov's fingers pinched my cheek.

"I heard from Alyosha and checked, but it seems that your parents aren't very interested in the arts. They're not coming to today's concert."

"Is that so..."

"Yes, they might not want to be seen as supporters of the second prince."

If they didn't want to be seen as supporters of the second prince, it meant there was a first prince faction, and they were in the middle of a factional struggle.

"Then, maybe I shouldn't show my face?"

"No, that's fine."

"Yes, you're with me and Alyosha, and we've always been neutral in the succession, as our predecessors have said. It might even be better to be seen with us."

Mr. Romanov and Mr. Viktor hold the title of Imperial Knight, which is a one-generation title, but they have considerable influence due to their connections.

They are recognized as imperial heroes or court musicians, and they have a significant impact.

Because of this, there are people who try to pull them into power struggles.

Tired of this, their predecessors declared that they would not be involved in such matters and would remain neutral.

Being neutral can sometimes be more dangerous than taking a clear stance, but it's not a good idea to make enemies of imperial heroes or court musicians who are known as "one of the top ten in the world."

If they say they won't be involved, they should be left alone.

That's the so-called sophisticated political judgment of the nobles.

By being seen with these two neutral figures, it would give the impression that there's no hidden agenda in attending the concert, even to the Kikunoi family.

The adult world is scary.

As I was led by the hand, a large building came into view.

If the joint shrine I saw before was the Parthenon, this one resembled the Paris Garnier Opera House.

The facade, the design of the front of the building, was luxurious, with statues of women riding winged horses on either side, and the central dome-shaped roof featured the empire's symbols, the qilin and the phoenix.

The two statues, gilded and shining in the sunlight, were dazzling.

The pavilions on the east and west sides, which were separate buildings, had many small rooms for breaks, but the east side was for commoners and the west side for royalty and nobility.

After passing through the grand and magnificent entrance, the first thing that caught my eye was a large staircase covered in red carpet.

The staircase itself was made of marble, including the railing, and led to a landing, from which two more staircases branched off to the left and right.

At the top of the stairs, every pillar was carved with qilin and phoenix, the walls were adorned with beautiful velvet, and the ceiling featured elegant depictions of celestial beings dancing.

Beyond this, the horseshoe-shaped auditorium came into view.

However, we first headed to the cupola, where Maria's dressing room was located, and the auditorium would be shown to us later.

The stairs were exhausting.

Panting, I finally reached the top and received applause from the two adults holding my hands.

"Even for adults, it's tough if they're not in shape. You did well."

"Good job, A-tan!"

"...Thank... you..."

I'm never going up these stairs again!

After catching my breath with several deep breaths, the wheezing in my ears subsided, and I felt more relaxed.

Looking around the cupola, the walls were adorned with beautiful flowers, making it a feast for the eyes.

Suddenly, a sound like glass breaking on the floor came from a room in the back.

A woman's scream followed, and tension filled the air.

Mr. Romanov and Mr. Viktor exchanged glances, and in the next moment, I was picked up by Mr. Romanov.

Together with him, we chased after Mr. Viktor, who ran like a shot.

In the room we reached, there were two women.

One was Maria, dressed in a luxurious dress, clutching her slender throat and writhing in pain, and the other, probably her maid, was rubbing her back and shouting, "Someone, get a doctor!"

"Maria! What happened!?"

"As soon as she drank the water that was brought in, she started clutching her throat and suffering!"

This is a serious incident!

Thank you for reading.

I would be grateful for any ratings, comments, or reviews.

I also have various activity reports, so please feel free to check them out.