Chapter 264: The Honest Earl
Lyria's POV
Earl Hawthorne tilted his head, genuine confusion flickering across his features.
"Is it wrong?" he asked. "The way I played it? I thought it was quite unique. The competition did say to compose an original piece, and original pieces, by their very nature, are meant to be unique. So I thought, why not create something that no one has ever heard before? Something that would stand out from all the others?"
The Queen stared at him. Though there was little change to her expression, it was obvious she was not impressed.
"Your Lordship," the Queen said slowly, "your unique way of playing was to strike a string instrument as though it were a percussion instrument?"
Earl Hawthorne nodded, completely unbothered, seeming not to notice the tension in the hall, or perhaps he simply pretended not to.
"Yes, Your Majesty," he said. "That is precisely what I did."
