Clear, melodious piano notes rang out in the music room, yet not a single sound could be heard outside the door.
Feeling the exquisite tone produced by the three-thousand-pound piano, Audrey nodded gently.
"It's not quite as good as the one I have at home, but it's decent."
"..." Snow looked at Audrey, who had said those words so casually, his expression stiffening slightly. The piano he currently had at Mr. A's house was worth five hundred pounds and was a gift from a client...
However, Audrey didn't seem to realize she was unconsciously flaunting her wealth,Snow's immunity to her "Spectator" observation helped in that regard. She sat on the piano stool as her own teacher had at their first meeting, then turned to Snow and said, "I'll play an etude first, then you try."
"Alright." Snow didn't refuse her suggestion. He sat to the side and waited quietly.
Audrey seemed to relish the feeling of being someone's teacher. Her fingers danced across the keys like a pair of spirits performing in a black-and-white ballroom, bringing forth a series of beautiful notes.
Although it was a simple etude, Snow found it very pleasant to listen to. He had to admit that while Audrey,the "Hardest Diamond",didn't show off her piano skills much in the original story, her level was truly high.
CLANG!
With a slightly heavy final chord, Audrey's small etude piece concluded. She looked up with a bit of trepidation and asked, "How much did you remember?"
Snow wanted to use the "I've forgotten it all" joke from his past life's martial arts films, but considering the Emperor hadn't plagiarized those novels, he kept the joke to himself. He smiled and said, "I remembered it all."
'You remembered it all? Liar! Mr. Devil's memory is clearly terrible!' Audrey grumbled inwardly. However, considering Mr. Devil might have learned this etude before, she stood up to let him take the seat and said in a very teacher-like tone, "Then play it and let me hear."
"Alright." Snow nodded and sat on the piano stool, which still held a lingering warmth. His fingers moved with agility.
'Wait, his skill is actually comparable to mine?' Listening to his opening, Audrey felt a twinge of shame, thinking she might have been overconfident. But soon, she noticed something was wrong.
Why did Mr. Devil's playing feel exactly the same as hers!
A normal person might not understand how a piece could "sound the same" even without mistakes. But in reality, a piano,or any non-electronic instrument,possesses a characteristic where the sound changes subtly based on the pressure applied and the posture of the player.
Many musicians exhibit dramatic body movements while playing. It isn't just because they are immersed in the music or emotion; they use those movements and force to strike the keys, strings, and pedals to make the sound closer to what they desire.
In other words, even using the exact same movements, different people would fail to achieve identical results due to differences in physique. Yet, Snow was producing a melody nearly identical to hers while using completely different movements.
Audrey suspected Mr. Devil was teasing her. The ability to perfectly replicate someone's sound was something only someone several levels higher could achieve!
Even so, Audrey didn't interrupt. She waited quietly for him to finish, then puffed out her cheeks and asked, "Mr. Devil, do you really need to learn the piano?"
"Of course!" Snow nodded solemnly and explained:
"My sequence allows me to gain a strong imitation ability. I can replicate any melody I've heard. But I have zero knowledge of music theory. I can copy the songs you play, but I can't read sheet music. In fact, I don't even recognize the notes."
"Eh? Mr. Snow, aren't you from the Spectator pathway?" Audrey asked in shock. Snow was slightly stunned. Was that the point right now? Nonetheless, he nodded and said, "I'm not from the Spectator pathway. I'm just familiar with it because the ancestors of the Panreadax family suffered losses at the hands of high-sequence Spectators."
'Oh, that's right. Mr. Devil is a descendant of a Beyonder family. But Mr. Hanged Man never mentioned the Panreadax family... Wait, Viscount Glaint said Mr. Devil's family was once noble, then lost their title for some reason...'
Audrey thought to herself. Realizing this might touch upon his secrets, she didn't ask further. She looked at the simple notes on the first page of an etude book and pointed to one.
"You don't even recognize this?"
"Not at all." Snow shook his head without a hint of shame. "But if you tell me what sound it makes, I can probably play it."
"Really?" Audrey looked at him with suspicion, wondering if he was joking. But seeing his sincere expression, she pointed to the first note and said, "This one is 'Me~~'."
"Like this?" Snow identified her voice, then reached out and struck a chord on the piano. It was an exact match for her vocal tone. But...
"That wasn't a chord!" Audrey awkwardly pressed a single key. The piano obediently produced a 'Me~~' sound, but it wasn't as similar as the chord Snow had played...
Seeing the surprised look Mr. Devil gave her, Audrey's face flushed. She said helplessly, "Alright, it seems we really have to start from the basics. Let me teach you how to read sheet music first..."
...
Night had fallen. The gas lamps had been lit in the streets. The ball was nearing its end. Most guests were either chatting or enjoying the feast.
With several business deals settled, Viscount Glaint's ball had turned a profit, but he didn't feel his usual joy. He kept feeling like he had forgotten something important.
"What on earth did I forget!" Glaint took a check from a gentleman but grew increasingly anxious. Just as he was about to lose his poise and scratch his head, a voice sounded behind him like music from the heavens.
"Glaint, what are you thinking about?"
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]
T/N: "Me~~" (咪~~) - The musical note 'E' (Do-Re-Mi).
T/N: "Basics" (基础) - Here referring to foundational music theory like reading staff notation.