I could not leave the room without Lucas or Mathias accompanying me. I remembered the latter saying something along those lines yesterday. So, Lucas taking me away from my bedroom was just perfect for me. It was necessary to explore the enemy territory after all. Never know when it’d come in handy.

As I was staring at the architecture of the hallway, with marble floor and carved pillars of granite, I was once again taken aback at the magnificence of it all. The first time I passed through these halls it was on the shoulder of the demon butler, Sebastian, and the second was late at night after a failed escape. So, it was the first time I could look at everything leisurely, with attention to detail.

It really was on another level. As Mio, I never wanted for anything. Mom and dad worked hard and then when I became an adult I gained enough money as a violinist to keep up the lifestyle I was used to. But I wondered not for the first time the reason nobles could have such luxuries while people like me had to hunger and survive as they could. Though, like I embarrassingly told Lucas yesterday, it wasn’t always the case. A farmer’s life wasn’t entirely bad. It was just a bad moment, not only for my family but surely for many others. When the bad moment passed, we could work the soil again, and there would be no reason to keep being hungry.

I said we because I definitely was going to get out of this alive. I would escape, hide for a few months from the viscount, and then go back to my family to help them with the farm. Mom and dad would be happy to know I was alive, and Thomas, my little brother, as well. I got sad thinking how much he must be missing me. In my most impartial opinion, he was a total sis-con. Who knew what he did when he found out I was sold.

I didn’t worry about the viscount retaliating when I ran away. If memory served, the ritual to give back life to someone deceased could only be done before a year from the death of the person. The soul lingered only so far. Trying to do it any later would deteriorate the consciousness of the deceased and the person brought back to life would be less and less human, until it came a moment when it no longer reasoned for itself and was completely dependent on the necromancer fueling its life.

That’s how zombies were created.

Besides, the heroes would arrive a few days later, defeating the viscount, so more reason for me to be safe afterwards. I would have nothing to do with the plot and thus I could live a peaceful life. It was perfect.

But first I needed to determine how to leave without being trapped.

Lucas was silent throughout the walk. He was walking in front of me, two guards closing in behind. Trapped in the middle of them, without an opening to escape. But I wasn’t going to escape now. It would be futile. The plan needed to be laid out first. Still, I wondered what he wanted to show me. I couldn’t see his face, and that bothered me more than I thought it would. He didn’t even spare me a glance as we made our way to wherever he was guiding me. It really annoyed me.

So I opened my mouth to fill the suffocating silence, when something on my peripheral vision caught my attention. I stopped.

“Elaine? Is there something wrong?” Lucas asked when he could no longer hear my footsteps. He walked up to me, and turned to look at the place I was observing. “Ah, who left the door to the music room open?”

The music room. Double doors with carved wood leading to a spacious room. From the doorway I could see the impressive grand piano in the middle, occupying center stage, but it wasn’t the piano that caught my attention. It was the violin case, leaning in a corner with other string instruments. Without thinking, I took a step forward, intending to enter, but an arm interposed, blocking my way. I looked up to see one of the guards giving me a censuring look.

“You may not enter, young lady.”

“It’s alright Samuel” Lucas told him just when I was about to give him a piece of my mind. “Are you interested in the piano Elaine?” he asked me, softer. I pursed my lips. Like I said, it wasn’t the piano what called me inside, but for the sake of it, I nodded. Now that I think about it, would it make sense for a farmer’s daughter to be interested in a violin? It was hidden from sight after all, disposed of in a corner. It made much more sense that the piano, so visible from the hallway, would make me stop to take a look.

So instead I said. “I never saw one so big” which was a half-lie. As Mio, I saw hundreds of grand pianos. As Elaine, I’ve only ever seen the upright piano owned by the barkeeper, whenever I went to the city to play with his daughter as my father sold the farm’s products to the merchants and store owners.

Lucas nodded. I don’t know what passed through his head at that moment, I didn’t even stop to wonder, as I took the chance to enter the music room and approach the piano. Closer up, I could see sheet music strewn over it, and without thinking I grabbed one.

I raised an eyebrow as I looked at the song. There was no title, and no composer’s name, but as Mio I spent countless nights practicing this song for a piano duet once, so it wasn’t difficult to recognize Grand Polonaise in the music sheet. Did Chopin also reincarnate here? Well, it was a manga created by a person from Earth, so it wouldn't be unthinkable for some elements of the real world to leak here.

“Who plays piano in this house?” I asked. The fact the sheet music was out here, meant someone had been practicing recently. I mean, I don't know you but I at least liked keeping mine stored and in perfect condition whenever I wasn't practicing. I looked at Lucas, and I was surprised at seeing him blushing slightly.

“That… would be me” he said with a cough, as if fighting off his awkwardness. I blinked. Did Lucas play piano in the manga? I sincerely did not know. I mean, I think I read it once on his character profile, but it wasn’t of much use while fighting and saving the world, so it was never shown. In a whim, I passed him the music sheet.

“Play this for me.”

“What?”

He was taken aback. So was I. But… it has been so long since I heard someone playing the piano. I guess the barkeeper played from time to time, but then I wasn’t as conscious of the music as I was now. It made me feel nostalgic.

So I repeated. “Play this for me.”

It shouldn’t be difficult. This was his music sheet after all, so it meant he had been practicing it. Even if he wasn’t that good at it, I still wanted to hear it.

Lucas looked down, blinked a few more times, and looked back at me. I remained firm, giving the sheet a shake so he would take it. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he took it from me and sat on the bench. He placed the sheet correctly where he could see it and opened the cover. I stood motionless by his side, waiting.

He licked his lips, took a deep breath and played a few scales. I didn’t say anything. Scales are important to warm up after all, but I admit I was a little impatient.

And then he started playing. I had to blink to assure myself it was Lucas playing the piano. Polonaise wasn’t by any means an easy song, but he played without fail, without faltering. For someone his age, this was impressive.

I simply stood there, listening to him, closing my eyes to concentrate only in the music. He was very good. My hands itched, remembering a previous life where I also could produce beautiful music like this with the slide of a bow. I wondered if, like climbing, maybe my body remembered how to play the violin? I was very curious to find out. The song continued, not stopping once, as if Lucas had practiced it numerous times. When it finally reached its end, I opened my eyes again and looked at him, playing the last notes until silence once again enveloped us.

I smiled. “You’re really good. That was a superb interpretation.”

“I… thank you” he said, a hand on his nape. He was embarrassed, but I saw his smile. It was soft, especially compared to the one from yesterday, and much more relaxed. It was a nice smile. “Do you know the song?”

“Yes, why do you ask?”

“Well… the way you talked just made me think you might have heard it before…”

“I played it once on violin. It’s a difficult song, but really beautiful.”

“Yes, it is…” he stopped abruptly. “You play the violin?”

Huh? Did I say that? Shit, I did, didn’t I? I looked away, embarrassed, while Lucas kept staring at me as if I was some kind of abstract art he needed to decipher. It wasn’t so farfetched for a farmer’s daughter to know the violin, right? I mean, instruments were not that accessible, but cheap violins could still be acquired at the city. So then why was he still staring at me?!

“I learned from my grandfather… is it so weird for me to know how to play?” I finally asked, not standing his eyes on me anymore. Lucas blinked, and then shook his head, his ears becoming red.

“No, I… I didn’t mean that… what I’m trying to say” he cleared his throat, “is that I’m surprised at your age you can play Polonaise. You must be… really good.”

Hey, that’s my phrase!

Hmm, so the song is called the same here. Is it from Chopin as well? I wanted to know!

“Would you like to play something for me too? Maybe… if we both know the song we can play together” he suggested. I mulled it over in my head. To be completely honest, the idea attracted me a lot. Why not? It would be nice to play violin again. Ah, but what if I couldn’t actually play? Just because I could climb some walls didn’t mean playing the violin was going to be as easy. It would be such a great embarrassment if I failed after claiming to be so good. I sighed in my head and opened my mouth to, regretfully, decline his offer, when Lucas spoke again. “Oh, by the way, Mathias also plays the violin. What a coincidence, no?”

“I won’t even get close to that violin, thank you very much.”

Who knows what he’ll do if he finds out I touched his violin. Ugh.

Lucas’ face fell. “Why? Just because Mathias plays as well? Don’t worry, there are other violins here. Actually, he keeps his own violin in his room, though…” he gazed down, looking like a wet puppy all of a sudden; “it’s been a while since I heard him play at all.”

Oh… was there some kind of wall between the brothers I was not aware of? Certainly, Mathias was a complicated character with his own arc and all, but as far as I could remember, with Lucas he was always nice and attentive.

Unless...

“My lord!”

I froze completely after hearing the guards announcing the presence of the viscount. By my side, Lucas stilled as well. Slowly, I turned my eyes in the direction of the doorway, and clear as day, Viscount de la Rosa was there, observing me.

I didn’t know what to do. Should I greet him as well? Should I remain silent? In the end, I let my eyes slide to the floor, allowing my hair to cover my eyes. He’s going to kill me anyway, why greet him at all? Honestly, I preferred not to look at him if I could.

“Father” Lucas was another story entirely though. He stood up from the bench and bowed. We waited, tense and in silence, but, surprisingly, the next thing I heard were footsteps. I raised my head to see the viscount getting away from the music room, continuing his way and ignoring our presence completely.

I heaved a sigh of relief. God, how terrifying. And he didn’t even say a word!

As I was allowing my heart rate to return to normal, I heard a sigh. When I looked at Lucas he seemed dejected, his eyes fixed where his father left, but unfocused, as if his mind was somewhere else entirely.

For some strange reason, seeing him like that made feel sad... and angry. Just who did this man think he was not to even greet his son? And then I became scared at my thoughts. I was not supposed to feel empathy for Lucas. It would only end badly for me. But before I could decide what to do, what to say or even how I was supposed to feel, Lucas started walking towards the door, making a gesture with his hand for me to follow him.

“Let’s go Elaine. We got distracted enough already.”