Chapter 136

Chapter 136: The Prelude

In the tranquil afternoon, sunlight filtered through the round window on the attic, casting gentle beams that occasionally stirred the dust in the air.

The soft and soothing piano music filled the attic. The volume was just right, so that one could hear it clearly in the room.

A young lady sat at the piano, her slender fingers dancing nimbly over the keys. A simple melody played repeatedly, starting somewhat awkwardly, then becoming smoother, and finally she immersed herself in it, playing it over and over again, releasing a faint joy and tranquility from within.

After a long while, her fingers gradually came to a halt, and with the last note echoing in the room, the lingering sound of the strings slowly faded away.

“That’s beautiful, Lacy,” clapping hands sounded lightly. A short-haired girl with shoulder-length golden hair stood up from the sofa and walked to the piano, looking down at the sheet music before the silver-haired girl.

“Did you write this yourself, Lacy?”

“No, I found it in an old book.”

“Beautiful, even I can feel how very nice it is,” Lanlier made a grand gesture to express her feelings.

“Does it have a name?”

Lady Phyllis also sat on the sofa, watching the girl playing the keys.

“Yes, its name is Prelude, meaning the prelude.”

“What a lovely name, like butterflies dancing under the shade of trees in summer, making me recall scenes from my childhood.”

“Was Lady Phyllis always musically talented when she was little?”

“Not really. Back then, I often fought with boys and didn’t like singing at all. Heron used to cry because of me, but it’s too embarrassing to talk about. He always told me not to mention it, hehehe~” At this thought, Lady Phyllis couldn’t help but smile, though Master Heron had already left Hope Lane that night, joining the White Cross Sword with most of his members to join the Frost Rose.

“So, how did Lady Phyllis become a songstress later?”

“It was because it looked good,” Lady Phyllis recalled and continued.

“When I was young, my family wasn’t wealthy. I envied the songstresses in their splendid gowns on stage. Coincidentally, the Fenghua Opera Troupe was performing in Hope Lane. I snuck over and asked a staff member if I could become a songstress.”

“The bearded uncle smiled, asked me to sing a few lines. I sang, and he praised me for it, saying it wasn’t enough, and gave me a small booklet to practice. They would come back next year.”

“Lady Phyllis practiced every day, stunning that uncle, right?” Lanlier guessed.

“No, not really. I tried the dull practice methods in the booklet for half a day and gave up.”

“Oh? I thought Lady Phyllis was diligent when she was young.”

“I was, but only later. At first, I was quite lazy.”

“So how did you change?”

“Later, the church formed a choir. Girls who sang could earn ten silver coins. That was a huge sum for me back then.”

“So you picked up practicing again. The priest in the choir often praised me, so I became more motivated. Gradually, daily singing practice became a habit, until I joined the Fenghua Opera Troupe and gained greater fame.”

“Hmm, I thought Lady Phyllis relied purely on talent to rise to the top.”

“There’s no such luck. If you don’t work hard now, you might fall behind your classmates and have to repeat a grade.”

Lady Phyllis tapped on Lanlier, who was trying to find excuses for laziness.

“I know! I’m in the top fifty of my class. I won’t repeat a grade, so don’t underestimate me, Lady Phyllis.”

“Right, right. If only you were as obedient as Lingxin.”

“Wow, Lady Phyllis actually praises others in front of students. That’s taboo. I’ll tell the dean.”

“You go ahead. It’s vacation now, let’s see if the dean will listen to you.”

At this moment, Lady Phyllis approached Lolan Hill and asked her about the sheet music.

“Are you going to sing this piece during the festival, Lacy?”

“No, this piece is better suited for solo performance when there are fewer people. For the festival, I want something more lively and uplifting.”

“Alright, I believe you can present a piece everyone will love.”

“Yes, I will.”

Lolan Hill nodded, a vague idea forming in her mind. The primary purpose of music is to convey emotions, heartfelt emotions, beliefs, and thoughts; one must move oneself before moving others.

What did she most want to convey? Over the years, what did she wish to share with others?

This question had been circling in her mind recently. Although it started out blurry, it had become clearer over these days.

“It’s getting late, Lacy, Lingxin. We need to set off.”

Lanlier looked out the window at the sun and said to Lady Phyllis.

“Then we’ll leave today, Lady Phyllis~”

“Alright, be careful on the way and don’t scare the children.”

“I won’t. Why does Lady Phyllis never trust me?” Lanlier pouted, a bit unhappy.

“Teacher, we’re leaving now.” Lolan Hill and Lingxin also said their goodbyes before departing.

On the street in the afternoon, three girls sat in a carriage. Inside the carriage were several insulated boxes containing freshly baked bread and pastries. The destination was the newly opened nursery in Hope Lane city.

The nursery would take care of children who lost their parents or were extremely poor. This was a new policy by the alliance, funded by the guild, and proposed by Lolan Hill.

Besides the nursery, there were schools. The previous school in Vergha was very expensive and privately run, mostly teaching arithmetic, writing, and some laws. But the new schools were different. The guild would cover most of the costs, and the subjects taught were comprehensive, including mathematics, language, philosophy, law, and commerce. Students were also organized for training to develop good discipline and basic military skills.

Lolan Hill always believed that education could truly transform an individual, a nation, or a country, leading them toward a better future.

“We’ve arrived.” Lanlier looked out the window at the gate and pushed open the door, carrying a box down.

Lolan Hill and Lingxin carried down the boxes as well. Lady Phyllis had told them not to use their extraordinary powers, as it would scare the children and cause trouble.

“One at a time, don’t rush~”

Lanlier was surrounded by the children, while Lingxin prepared to help distribute the soft bread.

Lolan Hill sat on a wooden chair under the shade of a tree, watching the children chatter and play. Memories of the past surfaced, and she slowly recalled her childhood dreams.

So innocent and pure.

—

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End of Chapter