Things were settling down around court, which meant it was time for Mother to show me off again.

“Darling, I think we ought to hold a small concert. All the nobles are begging to hear you perform, you know. We’ll invite some friends and a few other children to play.”

“That sounds lovely, Mother.”

I had no complaints, since I never missed a chance to flaunt my own superiority. Mother had been teaching me a song for the occasion for months, and I looked forward to finally playing it for others.

In addition, I had a brilliant idea.

“Can we invite Baron and Baroness Bryant?”

“Oh?”

Mother looked at me curiously.

I knew the baron was firmly in the faction of the royal family, but currently, he was very lowkey, and presented himself as neutral and leaning towards the royal family. If I had ever met him, I couldn’t remember, and I suspected it was the same for Mother.

“I heard the baroness is… a very elegant person.”

It was a lame excuse, even for me. However, it could be extremely beneficial to get the female lead’s family on my side. The novel presented the baron as a simple doting father who completely adored his daughter, but the baroness was a different matter.

The novel’s focus was romance, but had parts of family as well, mostly just to make the female lead even more perfect. Her stepmother treated her coldly at first, but eventually accepted her as a daughter, when she saw how kind she was and how sweetly she treated her half-sister.

The half-sister, whose only purpose was to have cute moments with the female lead, likely wasn’t born yet, but if memory served correctly, the baron was already remarried. If I could make the baroness an ally, I could make the female lead’s future life a living hell.

“In fact, I would like her to tutor me.”

“For what subject?”

I couldn’t let go of this golden opportunity, but I also couldn’t risk my studies.

“Anything not that useful. I think that their family could be good allies in the future, Mother. Please trust me on this.”

Mother frowned, but shrugged.

“If you say so. I’ll look into the baroness and invite them to the concert, but it’s possible that they might not come.”

“Then could you invite her to a tea party with you? It would be rude for her not to accept an invitation twice in a row. It could be important, Mother.”

“Yes, yes, I shall. There’ll be plenty of more subjects once you’re successor. But now, darling, let’s plan our concert.”

We discussed who to invite, who to perform, the decorations, which drawing room to hold it in, the snacks to provide, and all the other details. Then, we poured over catalogues to pick out new dresses for the both of us, expertly following the trend of the season.

The next few evenings, we squeezed time out of our schedules and practiced the song I was to play over and over until it was purely magical.

It was the night before the concert, and Mother was beaming proudly.

“It’s wonderful, darling! It brings me back to my older days, ah… everyone will love you!”

“I’m your daughter, after all.”

Mother smiled. She embraced me and kissed my forehead.

“Now, go get a good night’s rest. I love you, my daughter, my life.”

“I love you too.”

In this life, I always slept well, because I knew I would be incredible. The new day arrived, and my maids and I spent the whole afternoon preparing. Zoe did my makeup, possessing a talent almost matching Mother’s. I twirled around in my dress, imagining myself in my music.

Evening came far too slowly, and finally, Mother and I were in a large sitting room, and the guests began to arrive. The room filled up, but since we had picked the perfect size, it didn’t feel crowded, despite the large audience. If the baron or baroness came, I didn’t recognize them.

“Welcome, everyone, to our humble concert today. Children are the pride of their parents, and we all teach our children very well, though of course they are naturally talented. Today, we shall be able to see some of these gifts our children have been blessed with.”

The chatter that had been going on died down, and the nobles all looked very content at Mother’s words. Some made exclamations of praises, and Mother smiled in response.

“Without further ado, let’s begin with Lady Annalise Tennesley."

The first and last were the most memorable, so they must be the best. However, if the first was too good, and the middle failed to live up to it, then it provided the chance for the last to stun the audience with an extraordinary end. That was exactly what we were going to do.

Annalise played a passionate ballad that brought tears to many eyes. Music was her specialty, and arguably, she was even as good as me. The song tugged at our heartstrings, dragged us through the depths of misery, to the heavens of joy, then to the dawn of bittersweetness. Some were openly weeping when it ended.

“That was beautiful, Lady Annalise, thank you.”

When the sorrow had subsided, the people bursted into applause. It was loud, and lasted several minutes. Conveying emotions so perfectly into music was a rare gift, and it seemed impossible for anyone to meet the standards she had just set. It was right, for the most part.

The next songs that played were drastically unremarkable. The applause was notably quieter, though polite, and whispered conversations began to drift. When the event was coming to a close, the audience was teetering on the edge of boredom.

But after all, food tasted the best when presented to a starving man.

“And lastly, we have my very own Valentina.”

Mother’s words piqued some interest automatically, but most of the listeners’ attention was too far gone. It was only when I played the first note that the room quieted, into sudden awareness, and a hush fell.

The magic began.

My hands danced on the keys like graceful butterflies. I was alone in the room, just me and the grand piano, in a tranquil peace that existed only in minds at twilight, but could be brought forward with the precision of certains sounds.

Strong, steady, ambitious. War, blood, brave soldiers fighting to their last breath. An epic tale of a monarch defeating all odds. Went near death, but returned triumphant. Glory, power, honour. Ascending at last, fulfillment. To finally rest upon the peak of the world, and look down. A hero, a god, worshipped by all. Above all.

A novel as such would have been treated as blasphemy, or possibly even treason. That was another advantage of music, it could be interpreted in so many different ways.

One final note, a cry of victory. The room was completely silent.

Then, applause, loud as thunder.

“Lady Valentina! That was fantastic!”

“It was like I was right there, in the ballroom.”

“Ballroom? Why, obviously, it was a duel!”

“Either way, it felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest!”

“That was so exciting! It was like I could see something right there!”

“Lady Valentina completely inherited Her Grace’s talent!”

“No court musician can play half as well!”

I smiled and thanked everyone for their compliments, basking in their admiration. It delighted me in a way that I couldn’t describe, because this was real, they were praising the art I had created, not my status.

Among them, Mother smiled the brightest, more proud than my mom from my past life had ever been. But I wouldn’t think about that. The music I played today was from my own hard work and will, not because I was forced to. That was why it was so beautiful.