Chapter 23

By carefully combining information and conditions, he creates a perfect plot in advance.

That’s Clemens’ strength.

But in other words, it is also a weakness that can lead to a sudden loss of equilibrium when events exceed expectations.

Now he watched the scene in front of him with a strident expression.

What’s going on here?

Out of the corner of his eye, surrounded by people in a circle, is the dance floor.

In the ballroom, decorated with massive chandeliers and mirrors, now that the servants had joined them, a large number of ladies and gentlemen should be waltzing in a jumble of ladies and gentlemen.

But

“Oh, look! What a beautiful turn!”

“And the smooth swing. It’s like music in itself!”

There is only one pair of dancing – Lucas and a mysterious girl.

Those who had been dancing at first were overwhelmed by the two dancers’ beauty and left the hall one by one.

A beautiful girl in a wet, red dress moves in the waltz delicately, led by Lucas in a dark blue knight’s uniform.

The intertwined gazes, the cheeks that are sometimes drawn together, the legs that cross over, and their fingertips that wistfully slide down their arms.

All of it was so full of throbbing coloration that even Clemens, who thought of women as pawns in his manipulations, could not help but watch.

It’s like a story, a heartbreaking tale of a beautiful prostitute and a pure knight, tragic love and reunion.

Yes. The setting must be a pale night with a scratchy crescent moon.

A beautiful prostitute, separated by her status and a cruel fate, crumbles to the spot, her feet caught in the night dewy grass and trees.

Resounding sobs, tears spilling down. But then a hand is gently stretched out to them.

He ruffled his slender shoulders and looked up to see a fearless young man with sweet eyes.

He whispers, his expression buoyed by the heat, as he drops a kiss on the back of the stunned whore’s hand.

I’m on the wings of love.

No, no, no!

Clemens resisted the urge to bang his head against the nearest wall.

“This is not the time to spread the wings of your imagination.”

“My plans are about to be thrown out of whack; this is an emergency.”

The original plan was that after this circular dance was completed, Felix would go around distributing the wine of the pact that he had poured out. Toast – Lucas would be poisoned there.

This means that we must impress upon many of us the scene of “Felix himself taking out the wine, opening it, and pouring it out” during this waltz.

And yet, now all of the people in this place are looking hotly at both Lucas and the girl, and not at Felix.

This is even though he has placed his daughter, who is reputed to be beautiful, around Felix.

(No, we can craft a sighting after the fact. The biggest problem is timing.)

They’ve had a meeting with the conspicuous exotic musician that when Clemens rubs his nose, it’s a sign to “get ready to trill” and when he touches his ear, it’s a signal to “play the trill.

When the 'supreme trill” is performed, and the waiter – a servant who Clemens has a weakness for – overhears it and steps on Lucas’s foot with a shoe planted with a poisonous needle.

This would allow Clemens to keep his distance from Lucas and the others but still have him carry out the poisoning at the exact moment he sipped the wine of the pact.

— but.

(Hey! Goran Svaldo! (Look at me!)

He’s been rubbing his nose incessantly for a while now, but Goran hasn’t noticed him at all.

The lone musician seems to have forgotten his client and is now focused on this beautiful girl.

(Yes, there’s something about her dancing that is so compelling. She has a step that doesn’t deviate from the tempo by a hair’s breadth. She has an expression that expresses every nuance of the melody. A dance that embodies the music itself, a muse who transforms his music into a dance – that’s why!)

This was not the time to explain why Goran has become obsessed.

Clemens rubbed his nose frantically.

‘Goran Svaldo! Look out!’(Hey!)

“Wow. What a beautiful girl.”

And there was someone who spoke to him from behind in an interminable tone.

When he turned around for a moment, he saw that it was a young man dressed in a gorgeous tunic for an evening party – Prince Felix.

“I told you those beautiful girls would be the ones to stand by me. The girls who have collected them, their talk is boring and, by the way, their perfume is too tight. Clemens. You didn’t do an outstanding job this time, did you?”

“Haha, a failure, a failure.”

While laughing like that, Felix poured a glass of wine into a handheld glass.

If you look at it, it was a vintage bottle with an old-fashioned label on it

– the wine that was supposed to be used for the cup of the pact.

“You opened the bottle!”

It was hard to forgive the nerve-wracking remarks, but Clemens was almost furious with Felix. The latter was ignoring the progress they had been discussing and starting to pour the wine early.

The wine is opened when the song is over.

This should be done after the transition to the pact ceremony.

But Felix doesn’t seem to be paying any attention to this common sense and pours out the precious wine like it’s water.

Then he looked at Clemens and chuckled.

“You must be thirsty from dancing. I just thought I’d drop this off for you. I thought I’d hit on her. I heard her name is Elma. Did you know?”

“No, I’m ashamed to say that I’ve been so occupied these days with the preparations for the ceremony. Here’s glass, but since I have my status, please give it to your brother first.”

Clemens managed to tell him, barely trying to keep his teeth from gritting.

For now, as long as Felix can get Lucas to drink the wine, he’s right on track with his original plan.

But the timing is imminent.

Clemens rubbed his nose frantically at the musician, feigning casualness.

(Hey! Look out! Goran Svaldo! Your turn is coming up!)

“Ha-ha, what’s up, Clemens? Are you going to get a nose bleed? Are you excited? Come on; old love is a disgrace.”

It was inevitable that he was about to be flooded with murderous intent.

A beautiful waltz is still unfolding beyond the crowd, beyond the almost glaring gaze of the crowd.

The last part of the dance is finally coming to an end.

We’re about to get to the most exciting part.

However, the music played by the orchestra does not match the world expressed by the dancers.

It’s a shame; someone was about to let out a sigh when the girl who had been staring at her partner incessantly did something she hadn’t expected.

In other words, he threw a look at the orchestra and stretched out his arms in the water.

It’s like an inviting gesture.

More excitement.

More harmony.

His lustrous hand seemed to scream, “I’m not going to let you go!”

Band members. Give me the power to–

What a girl! (I’m not sure if she’s a hero who joins forces with her friends to defeat her enemies or not!)

Clemens rammed himself into the content of what he had attributed to himself, but in fact, the change was dramatic.

Suddenly, the orchestra members, led by Göran, changed their eyes and began to play their best music.

Tense bass notes. A sobbing melody.

The great swell of emotions drives the instruments and the players to create a world of their own.

It merged with the two of them stepping in the middle of the stage to create a tremendous epic story.

Beyond the dancing girl, we see a beautiful prostitute.

We see the young man she sought and the flames of passion that have grown and burned between them.

It burns irresistibly and uncontrollably – yes, that’s what love is all about!

Yeah.

The brand-new physical language, which no longer fits into the realm of “expressive power,” is universally admired. Some shed tears.

With a high-pitched ringing sound, a perfect throw-away over-slope – a perfect throw-away over-slope.

Everyone had visions of the beautiful whore’s love, death, and prayers as the girl crashed into the prince’s arms and slumped wide back.

The hall goes quiet.

After three breaths of silence, someone struck a hand, as if remembering.

As if that were a trigger, a wave of applause spread out in unison.

If this were a stage, it would be a standing ovation.

However, the girl who danced through the whole thing didn’t seem to have even a glimmer of admiration but instead looked around and spoke to the daughter of a nobleman. The latter was standing there with an ashen face.

When the prince next to her quickly covered the girl’s mouth with a panicked expression, Felix, who had been watching the exchange, said lazily, “What on earth did you tell him?”

“Oh, my God. I’m going to go get some of this wine.”

……………

“Not good.”

He hadn’t even made eye contact with Goran, the signalman, yet.

(Hey! Goran Svaldo!)

Clemens looked at Goran with a look that he no longer clung to, and his eyes widened a bit there.

“My muse.”

The young musician was proud of his musical talent.

‘My seriousness and your seriousness. Let’s see if we can clash.’

Like a boy who has found his greatest rival, his eyes burned with a burning desire to challenge, and he began to strum his violin.