79 Encore

A few minutes later, small applause rang out from the crowd. Mikael and Damien finished their duet, and bowed as they left the stage.

In that few minutes, I was able to hear just what type of music is currently most prevalent in this era. And if I were to make a comparison, it'd be most similar to the baroque period back on Earth. Which in my opinion is very good since the music which I've most plagiarized belonged to that of the Classical era—the natural successor of the Baroque period, as per history texts.

After all, no matter how good these plagiarized works might be, they would seem alien if not appreciated within a certain cultural context.

Now as for Damien and Mikael's performance—how should I say this. They were so-so, so to speak. It's akin to a kid's recital. You don't really watch them because you expect some unprecedented level of mastery and skill.

People watch them because they're kids. "Kids playing a piece from a famous composer in front of a crowd", that alone is impressive enough for the adults watching. A child can literally fumble their dance steps in front of the crowd, and the people watching would find it cute or amusing at best.

They're not really held up to the same standard.

Best analogy I can think of is in sports, specifically basketball: In a game, people will still cheer for a kid that only made one out of eleven shot attempts. Even if that one successful shot came from a wide-open 2 point jumpshot from the wing, that somehow still hit the board and spins on the rim a few times before finally going into the hoop.

People still enjoy a kids' match where the score is an abysmal 12-15 in the second quarter – both teams are playing absolute garbage ball and shooting with piss poor efficiency. Why? Because they're fucking kids, that's what makes it impressive.

The incompetence and struggles are endearing when children are the ones performing rather than professionals.

However, the comparatively lower standards placed on kids only serve to heighten the level of awe and admiration when a truly skilled young player graces the court. When a child drops a 40 bomb with impeccable efficiency, flaunts masterful dribbling maneuvers, and sinks the majority of their contested shots, wouldn't that crowd be awed at that?

A kid breaks another kid's ankles, hits a tough fadeaway, maybe even does a little celebration at the end of it, wouldn't that be quite a sight?

From the corner of my eyes, I can see the Countess applauding with a smile as she watched her son go down the stage. She seemed totally elated to see her son do something that's not a complete disappointment for once.

"How do you feel after seeing their level?" nudged Aerin from the side.

"I've never felt more skilled than I do now," I reply honestly.

Aerin smiles at my words and pulls me closer by the shoulder. "See? I told you there's nothing to be nervous about. You're special," she says as her fingers pinches my cheek. "There's still about half an hour before it's your turn," she adds.

"From the looks of it, most of the celebrations have already come to an end. I wonder if anyone will even be there to watch," I say as I look around.

The food in the buffet were no longer being refilled. Certain trays have even been already taken back. Most of the people were now seated on the tables, talking with either their families or their newly gained friends. Some of the people with busy schedules have even already paid their respects to the Empress and bid farewell early.

By the time I will be the one on stage, one can only imagine that half of the guests must have already left.

"Don't worry about it," comforted Aerin. "The royal family has to stay till the very end. Even with only a few people, you could argue that they're the best audience that you could possibly hope for."

My eyes then couldn't help but drift towards the royal family sitting at the very front. The amount of people trying to talk to Princess Sofys have decreased considerably. Most of them were just the ones paying their respects before leaving the banquet,

The empress still remained seated, unperturbed by anything.

If there were to be any difference it would be that Princess Cynthia is now talking to her friends and have since left the side of her older brother Prince Edmund. Like a bird let out of its cage, she was chirping happily with the other girls her age, presumably from other notable families as well.

Prince Edmund, on the other hand, was still at the table just as he was before. The only difference is now he's closer to his older sister, just like he was with Cynthia half an hour prior.

'There was rumors about the prince being sickly…' I then recalled. 'Maybe that story does have merits to it after all.'

* * *

Half an hour later, the ballroom had considerably been emptied out. Servants cleaned up after the guests which had left, used plates and utensils on the tables being picked up and taken to be washed and cleaned.

The second-to-the-last performer were still on stage. Again, another musician. My sister, Laurel, seemed to have made the schedule with the intent of putting all the more boisterous performers first, so that their liveliness can seep into the peak of the celebratory atmosphere.

Right now, towards the end, most of the musicians played somber and peaceful tunes to simmer down the atmosphere at guests left. The serene melodies of the current performer served as a fitting end to the celebrations, calming the diminishing crowd into a gentle farewell. At this point, many familiar faces were now absent from the thinning crowd.

The amount of people that remained probably doesn't exceed twenty, and that's including the four members of the royal family. Though my own father had already left, ny sister is still here and so does the head of the other two ducal houses. It could be said that the people remaining are the ones closest to the royal family, and thus are the highest ranking people within the empire's reach.

Strangely enough, Eloise and her son also remained, though the latter visibly looks like he wants go home already.

All this time, I've never left my pupil's side.

With many of the tables now empty and cleaned, I sat the two of us somewhere near the front. As the quartet's performance is about to come to a close, I couldn't help but be worried for Maelriel.

When Laurel assigned Maelriel to the very last slot, there was a certain element that I had not foreseen.

Initially, I thought that this would be the worst time to perform, literally at the very end of the celebration. I already knew that most people would have already left by then, since there would be nothing more to do.

However, what I hadn't foresaw is that as people left, the more focused the remaining audience becomes at the performing person. Before—with the exception for the most popular and renowned performers—though there was a lot of people present, every other performer is basically a sideshow left to the background.

Yes, there were probably a lot more people watching then than there are now, but there were also other sources of entertainment: from the food, to the companionship, and the socializing, there were a lot of other things to pay attention to.

Whereas earlier performers may have played for a disinterested crowd, he would soon perform for an engaged few. Not only that, he's not performing as part of a duet, trio, or a quartet. He's performing solo.

Though fewer people remained, each one watched attentively. With so many distractions gone, the current performers have the undivided attention of the remaining guests. Though they shared small talks over wine, the pressure of performing in front of such distinguished personnel probably exceeds that of the earlier crowd.

Looking towards my pupil's side, I could see that he's pretty quiet. Never had he been in front of so many people, let alone having them that hyper focused on him. For people of his standing, people like the Empress would've only been names he would heard from stories and never see in person.

But now such an individual would not only be watching him but also scrutinizing him. I can only imagine the pressure he must be feeling.

"Riel," I call out to him and he turns to look at me. "They're almost done with their set. You should start preparing for yours. Come, let's go to the backroom. I'll help you out," I gently massaged his back, hoping to soothe his nerves and reassure him that he wasn't alone.

"Thanks..." he says rather quietly.

Discreetly, away from the eyes of others, the two of us quietly headed for the backroom. As the two of us walked down the corridor, I looked at Maelriel walking in front of me and noticed that I had actually ruffled his hair a little bit from all the time I was playing with his head.

"Sit over there."

Once we were at the backroom, I told him to sit down at the spare piano's seat. I had to make sure my boy looks as best as he could possibly be when he's on that stage.

Taking out a handkerchief, I wipe away any traces of sweat from his face. He looked quiet adorable as he closed his eyes and let me hold him by the chin. Unlike many boys his age, he seemed to actually pay attention and properly groom his appearance—a habit he no doubt picked from his mother and sister.

"Teacher.. you–" he began hesitantly.

"Sweetheart," I replied softly but firmly, "Stay still for just a moment longer."

Once I was satisfied that not a hair was out of place nor a crease marring his neat collar, I stepped back and smiled at my young pupil. "There now," I said. "You're looking fresh as a daisy. What do you say we run through your piece once more before you go on?"

He turned obediently toward the piano and began playing. His performance was flawless, the notes flowing smoothly from his fingertips.

"Hmm.. you're not as nervous as I expected." I couldn't help but notice. I surely thought he would be trembling or at least feel pressured somewhat.

This is good.

Because frankly, I wasn't too sure if I was doing a good job reassuring or encouraging him before. I've never been in his position, being afraid of making a mistake or failure, so I couldn't really empathize or put myself in his shoes.

Maybe it's because of our different upbringing? Coming from a powerful family, failure has never been the end for me. I always have had the resource and connections to come back from it as many times as I wanted. To me, mistakes were more of a learning experience if anything.

That might not be the case for someone like Maelriel though.

Thus, I didn't know what exactly I had to do or say in order to resonate with him in case he were to feel that way. I felt like I was just spouting flowery encouragements, hoping that one of them will stick.

After hearing my words thought, a faint look of embarrassment crept up my pupil's handsome face. "Am I?" he scratched his cheeks. "I guess before I was too preoccupied with what will happen if I fail. I always thought of the possible embarrassment or humiliation, and it sometimes affected me."

"But now.. rather than thinking of what will happen if I fail, I have things to look forward to when I succeed. And that helped me focus a lot more on wanting to succeed, rather than being afraid of failure," he admitted honestly.

Oh? I was honestly pleasantly surprised.

"That's a really good mentality to have. There is a big difference between trying not to fail and genuinely trying to succeed," I add on. "Avoiding failure does not guarantee success, while focusing your energy on achieving victory can propel you forward."

Again, I felt like my student was arriving at all these correct conclusions on his own, without any need for me to help at all.

Maelriel's talent and eagerness to learn have no doubt flattered my ego as a teacher, making me somewhat overconfident in my abilities. It felt easy because Riel was smart and comprehensive enough to be able to understand everything that I've taught so quickly that teaching him felt almost effortless.

On the other hand, however, his attentiveness warms my heart because I realize the prize I promised likely means so much more to him. It's probably the thing he was referring to when he said 'something to look forward about'.

How sweet.

Since he's so determined to get it, then I'll make sure it's worth his efforts. There is no need to withhold my affections from one so wonderful and true. A kiss is not difficult to give, and I took his first one years ago anyway.

After a few minutes of flawless practice, we could hear the applause ring out from the other side of the wall signaling that the quartet had finished their performance.

Finally, it's his turn and I immediately turned to him to give him some last minute words of encouragement. "You've got this," I say confidently. "Just play like you have every day for the past year in our practice room. Your talent will shine through."

"Thank you," he nodded, reassured by my words. "I'll keep it to heart."

As he entered from backstage, I quickly walked out of the backroom and back into the ballroom where the rest of the audience were. Turning my head towards the stage, I could see Maelriel standing there with many eyes on him. On the outside, he looked pretty confident but with the years I've spent with him, I was able to recognize the little things and cues that he does every time he's nervous or pressured.

Thankfully, he was able to push through it as he bowed towards the remaining crowd with practiced elegance.

I must say, his mother had no lack of taste or refinement. I actually had prepared another set of clothes, just in case Maelriel were to wear something that is.. let's say, 'unfit' for the occasion. However, there was no need because he came already dressed in fine clothing that suited his charms very nicely.

To my surprise, however, just as I'm about to go back to my seat, someone actually waved and called out to me.

"Aerin!" I heard a voice quietly call out.

Turning my head towards the direction of the voice, I could see the crown princess, Sofys, waving towards me and gesturing for me to sit next to her. Mentally, I frowned because I don't think the two of us were all that familiar with each other.

Ever since that incident, I barely made any public appearances and Laurel had been the one serving as the 'face' of our family.

However, I wouldn't show such a face towards the future ruler of our Empire. With utmost courtesy, I took a seat beside the gorgeously red-haired fairy-like maiden.

"Good evening, your highness." I politely greeted.

"Good evening." She replied mildly.

"Is there any reason as to why Her Highness called for me?" I asked respectfully, not out of courtesy for her higher status, but because she who sits beside me is many decades my junior yet has already surpassed me in myriad ways in regards to mystical arts.

"There's no need to raise one's guard. I rarely ever see the eldest daughter of the Incaross family and yet you didn't come to greet me even once this entire evening," she sighed regretfully.

Courteously, I apologized. "I assumed that the princess had far more pressing matters to attend to rather than to spend times with useless formal greetings with me."

"If you were to have walked up to me earlier, I would have passed over everyone else to make time for you specifically. Even at my rank, I still have to treat someone of your status with due respect." she replied gently.

"Your words honor me. Unfortunately, I was occupied earlier and could not properly greet the princess."

At that, Sofys looked to the stage, asking "Busy with that youth, I suppose?"

"He is my pupil." I answered truthfully. I did not attempt to conceal the relationship between Maelriel and I nor was I trying to in the first place.

"Oh?" Sofys replied, interest blooming in her eyes. "Then he must be someone with potential for you to take him as a disciple."

Soon after Maelriel was introduced to the crowd, he sat in front of the piano and began his performance. His fingers hovered above the ivory keys for a moment before coming down to play the opening bars of the composition.

The piece started off with swirling, lively notes that filled the concert hall. I remembered when Maelriel had first shown me the music sheets, titled 'Spanish Rhapsody'. Not being familiar with the word 'Spanish', I had asked him what it meant. He chuckled and changed it to something else soon after that.

I would say it's one of his pieces that have higher technical demands and showmanship, with complex runs and arpeggios that showcased Maelriel's virtuosity. Combined with it being one of his original pieces which he had written himself, it's perhaps one of the best ways he could demonstrate both his creative and technical prowess at once.

From the very first passages, the composition gripped the audience's full attention. It possessed a completely fresh and distinctive style along with bold tempi that seemed designed to display his consummate skill on the instrument. It was abundantly clear to all listeners that this was no ordinary children's recital where kids are applauded for simply mechanically ploughing through their musical sheets, doing the absolute bare minimum.

This was someone so young, playing as though he was competing with the experts.

All chatter died down as everyone's attention was directed towards the stage. Maelriel's fingers danced furiously yet gracefully across the keyboard, moving seamlessly from one complex movement to the next. The purposeful crescendos and accelerandos added to the technical difficulty yet heightened the dramatic effect greatly. What began as a cheerful melody soon swelled into a tour de force of dexterity, filled with split-second octave leaps and tempestuous arpeggios.

I had to cover my mouth with my hand to hide the smirk that slowly crept up my lips. This is how exactly I envisioned this moment in my head many times over.

Not a single trace of nervousness or hesitation could be found in his music. It is as though the nervous wreck that once played in front of Laurel was a completely different person altogether.

It is then that I remembered to look towards a certain table, where the Eloise and her son were watching. I remembered the initial arrogance that her brat treated my baby with. I wanted to step in and curb his arrogance a little bit, but Maelriel handled the situation better than I'd expected so I remained watching from the sidelines.

However, looking at his face now, it's about high time he realized the disparity between the two of them. Funnily enough, this difference in musical ability is arguably the least important out of all the other aspects that Maelriel overwhelmingly bests him at.

Afterwards came the second song in his set. If I recall correctly, it's called 'Isabella's Lullaby' and he actually played this one on a mandolin, so I was pretty surprised to see him bring it out on the piano. Now I don't know who Isabella is, but I assume it's a placeholder name for a mother who sings a lullaby to her children. Surely, it's a song about a caring mother who wants her children to live long happy lives.

Because in comparison to the earlier display of technical mastery, this one was more reserved and relaxing.

From the side, Sofys commented: "The first piece was undeniably impressive, but this one is more to my taste. I've always preferred something soothing over flashy displays." She then turned to look at me, and ask. "Is this one of yours compositions?"

I quickly shook my head, making no attempt to take any of my pupil's glory for myself. Let him get the recognition he deserves.

However, Sofys' next words caught me by surprise: "I wonder if he can sing too? I wouldn't mind having him play at my bedside. I could really use some help falling asleep well."

I raised an eyebrow slightly at the princess's rather 'intriguing' request. But she merely laughed it off and continued listening with rapt attention.

"Since there's no one scheduled after him, it wouldn't be rude to request an encore, don't you think?"