Ashes Nocturne (2)

‘Ashes Nocturne’ was also one of the pieces she had practiced the most.
At one point, she had even suffered from insomnia because the melody of that piece would continue to play in her ears until she fell asleep.
‘Yes, let’s do this piece.’
Selene, having made her decision, placed her hands on the keyboard.
Her hands were already bare, thanks to Theron having taken off her gloves while they were talking.
“Are you going to play?”
Theron asked, looking at the suddenly serious Selene.
“Yes.”
Selene, who had answered shortly, seemed to be concentrating quickly.
Because of that, Theron couldn’t even ask what piece she was going to play and had to take a step back.
Selene began to play without hesitation.
Her fingers moved on their own, without her having to draw the sheet music in her head.
‘Ashes Nocturne.’
The composer was said to have been inspired by a custom in a rural village of burning a scarecrow dressed in black clothes to drive away witches.
The composer, who had happened to see that custom while traveling, had expressed in music the way the ashes scattered randomly in the black sky, mingling with the sound of music.
Selene had chosen this piece because it had a lot of technique but no particular emotion or content.
At the time, it was a difficult thing for Selene to understand and contain emotions.
Instead, she had decided to show off that technique perfectly, and she had a funny memory of practicing until her fingers were swollen on the day of the competition.
Ding.
Selene, feeling her breath quicken slightly due to her immersion, pressed the last key.
Still, since she hadn’t played as if squeezing everything out, her body was only as stimulated as if she had gone for a light run.
“…”
But was Theron deeply impressed?
Even after the performance was over, there was no reaction or word from Theron.
When she turned her head and looked back, she could find Theron, who was as still as if he had stopped.
“Theron?”
“…Huh? Oh.”
Theron woke up at Selene’s call.
Clap, clap.
Theron belatedly clapped and approached Selene.
“It was a mesmerizing performance.”
“Thank you.”
“But…”
Theron hesitated with a slight frown.
“Isn’t the title of the piece you played ‘Ashes Nocturne’?”
“You don’t know any pieces, do you, Theron?”
“I have a good memory. …No, that’s not what’s important. Did you win the competition with this piece?”
Selene nodded.
“I played other pieces too, but this was the main one.”
“Hah…”
Theron suddenly let out a hollow laugh.
As if he had heard something absurd.
“Is it because it doesn’t suit me to have chosen this piece?”
At Selene’s question, Theron hurriedly waved his hand.
“No, no. Not at all. In fact, I was thinking that there would be no one who could play this piece as perfectly as you…”
Although it was high praise, Selene was not very impressed, as Theron often made a fuss about her.
Theron’s eyes were still sparkling with a faint excitement.
“You must have practiced like crazy to get to this point, right?”
“I suppose so.”
“You must have done your best until the very end in the first-floor piano practice room of the concert hall on the day of the competition.”
“…”
For a moment, Selene had the absurd thought that Theron might have been watching her that day.
She couldn’t help but have such a doubt, because in fact, Selene had played until the very end in the first-floor practice room at the time.
Theron’s strange behavior continued.
“I should have just asked you what the main performance piece of the competition was sooner. I shouldn’t have asked that person…”
Theron, who had muttered something difficult to understand, suddenly hugged Selene.
“I’m glad I asked you to play today. My heart is set.”
‘Set?’
‘Is he talking about the thing that required courage?’
Selene had decided not to bring up that matter with Theron first, but he seemed quite relieved now.
So, a little encouragement wouldn’t hurt.
“I’m glad if it was helpful. I hope you’ll be able to resolve that matter you’ve set your mind on well.”
Theron pulled away and faced Selene.
“Selene, are you curious about what’s been making me so anxious?”
“Yes.”
“You’ll find out soon enough. Because it’s something you must know.”
‘Something I must know.’
“When will you tell me?”
“After you’ve safely finished the competition. I’ll tell you then.”
Then it wouldn’t be long.
Selene decided to wait.
She didn’t want to be bothered with other things before the competition anyway.
If she found out about Theron’s worries now, it would affect her in some way.
“I think I should be going now. I’ve already taken up a lot of your time.”
While Selene was making her decision, Theron stood up from his seat.
He was also in a hurry, as if he had postponed his schedule for this time.
Theron kissed the back of Selene’s hand as he always did when she saw him off at the entrance.
However, he did not lift his head right away, but whispered quietly with his lips buried in the back of her hand.
“Selene, I have no doubt you’ll win.”
“…”
“So I hope you’ll show me a little mercy on that day.”
Selene, who had not heard the whispered words properly, looked at Theron, who had kissed the back of her hand.
His blue eyes looked a little cloudy, as if containing his mysterious inner thoughts.
Perhaps that’s why, Selene vaguely sensed that the thing Theron needed courage for was related to her.
But since she still didn’t know exactly what Theron was hiding, she decided not to make any assumptions for now.
Because she wanted to believe the side of him he had shown her so far.
“I’m going, Selene.”
After saying goodbye, Theron turned his back and left the mansion.
Selene, who had seen her guest off, turned her gaze to the flowers blooming in the garden.
The spring season when she had first met Theron last year was slowly coming to an end.
That meant that when she opened her eyes, it would be the day of the competition.
‘What will Theron tell me on that day?’
Selene, putting aside the passing question, looked away from the flowers and slowly went inside.
She had to do the practice she had been putting off.

Beatrix sipped her black tea with lemon and sugar and read the letter Gwendolyn had brought.

[If it’s not too much trouble, I would like you to come and see my performance at the competition, grandmother.]

The letter Gwendolyn had delivered was written by her granddaughter, Selene.
“She has proudly reached the finals. The date written on the letter is the day the winner will be decided.”
Gwendolyn said, putting down her teacup.
As she said, after the international piano competition opened, Selene immediately achieved good results.
Since she had passed the preliminaries and the main competition without any hesitation, it was not strange to consider her a strong candidate for the winner.
“Of course she should. Whose granddaughter is she?”
Beatrix replied nonchalantly.
However, even without looking into her heart, Gwendolyn knew that Beatrix would be proud of her granddaughter.
“If it were a competition held in a foreign country like last time, she would not have invited you, madam, but since it is held in her own country, the young lady has gathered her courage.”
Although she must have been happy about her granddaughter’s invitation, Beatrix was silently contemplating whether to accept or not.
Gwendolyn understood what Beatrix was hesitating about and waited silently.
Before long, the silence was broken.
“Gwen, I am not a ghost who cannot leave this villa.”
“Yes, I know.”
“But the things I have to face when I leave this villa frighten me.”
Perhaps the biggest fear was that she could no longer find the shadow of her second son and daughter-in-law anywhere, and the next biggest fear was facing her remaining first son.
“Lord Orlando will probably come to see the young lady’s performance on that day as well. With Lady Evelyn.”
“Yes. Then I will have to face what I have been avoiding.”
For example, the matter of him scheming to take away the title from his niece.
Although Beatrix had said it was a good thing that a handsome man whom Selene would fall for was loitering around, in fact, if one thought about his intentions, it was not something to be happy about.
Beatrix, as if her head were throbbing just from the thought of facing Orlando, closed her eyes and pressed her temples.
“Gwen, did it seem like Selene had lost her heart to that man, Theron Cox?”
Gwendolyn took a sip of tea and put down her teacup.
“That’s what it looked like to me.”
“Really…?”
“Yes. And the same goes for that man.”
‘Although it seems he hasn’t confessed the truth to the young lady yet.’
‘But when his conscience pricks him and his heart becomes so uneasy that he can’t stand it anymore, Theron will eventually reveal that he had approached her with an intention from the beginning.’
Gwendolyn expected that to be soon.
‘A big storm will probably blow again then.’
Beatrix took a deep breath.
“Then it’s time to sort things out.”
“Are you going to go see the young lady’s performance?”
At Gwendolyn’s question, Beatrix nodded.
“Yes. It wouldn’t be bad to listen to Selene’s performance after a long time. It’s been quite a while since then.”
‘Has it been 10 years?’
‘Since she listened to the young lady’s performance.’
‘It must have been never since she briefly heard the young Lady Selene practicing the piano at the ducal estate in her childhood.’
Gwendolyn smiled gently.
“You will surely be surprised when you hear it.”