Chapter 23

A calm and luxurious atmosphere filled the space. The faint moonlight seeping through the window cracks made the surroundings even more serene.

“Wow… I didn’t know there was a place like this inside.”

After walking through the vast mansion for a while, guided deeper inside, I found Viviana’s private space.

A luxurious carpet placed on pure white marble created a soft floor, and although there were no extravagant decorations, the meticulously crafted furniture was neatly arranged.

In this mysterious, dreamlike space that seemed to leap out of a painting, Viviana struggled to speak, her lips twitching.

“Don’t expect too much. I’m not that good.”

“My lady, I simply wanted to see you play.”

With a bright smile, Viviana rose from the sofa and sat gracefully on the piano chair. Her demeanor at the piano was quite different from usual. Unlike her usual strong and commanding presence, she now seemed somewhat peaceful.

She, who always wore a mischievous and relaxed smile, now had a faint, natural smile as she sat at the piano. Her contrasting appearance made me blink in surprise from a distance.

‘…She’s really serious about the piano.’

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen the bad ending because I didn’t play that damned piano consistently. Thankfully, Viviana now plays regularly, so she won’t fall into corruption.

After taking a short breath, Viviana slowly placed her hands on the keys. As her fingers pressed the keys, a short, clear note rang out.

With the first note, Viviana’s fingers began to move. Slowly yet swiftly, softly yet brilliantly, her fingers danced across the keys, creating a beautiful melody.

While her playing wasn’t outstanding enough to earn high praise, the noble aura of Viviana and the harmonious sound of the instrument created a beautiful scene.

And the melody that followed was, of course, beautiful. Even I was momentarily entranced by the enchanting music.

‘It’s completely different from the game.’

In the game, Viviana playing the piano was merely a means to lower her corruption gauge, nothing more.

But hearing her play right in front of me, I couldn’t help but feel it deeply. For Viviana, whose daily life was filled with cutting down enemies and being entangled in politics, the piano was her only happiness and refuge.

‘I want to hear it closer.’

I rose from the sofa and, as if entranced, walked towards Viviana’s music. Normally, she would have noticed immediately, but she seemed too absorbed in the piano to realize I was approaching.

I placed a backless chair near the piano next to Viviana. Resting my arms on the piano stand and my head on my arms, I looked up at Viviana as she played. She seemed momentarily flustered by my gaze but continued playing without stopping her fingers.

As I enjoyed each note of the soft melody, Viviana’s fingers played the final note and slowly lifted from the keys.

“…How was it?”

Viviana asked me. Her face was as usual, but I could sense a faint expectation in her eyes. I smiled playfully, mixing a bit of sincerity.

“I think I’ve fallen for you, Viviana.”

“…You don’t have to flatter me, miss. Other nobles might, but I don’t particularly like it.”

“Why do you think it’s flattery?”

I met Viviana’s eyes without a hint of hesitation. Surprisingly, it was Viviana who looked away first under my intense gaze.

“Pfft… My lady, you’re confident in everything else, but you’re oddly shy when it comes to the piano.”

“…It’s not like that-.”

“It was truly beautiful. The best performance I’ve ever heard. This is not a lie, but my sincere feeling.”

Viviana raised an eyebrow slightly as she looked at me. I met her violet eyes without flinching. After staring at me for a while, she swept her hair back and replied.

“…Thank you.”

“I’m the one who should be thankful for the performance. Could you play for me again sometime?”

“If you wish.”

It was a lie that I’d fallen for her, but it was true that I enjoyed her piano playing. For a moment, I was completely entranced by her performance.

“My lady, you’ve been through so much.”

“Huh?”

Seemingly not understanding my sudden words, Viviana raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“I could feel it while listening to your performance. How hard your life has been, and how exhausted you are.”

“…What?”

Viviana’s eyes, which had been calm, now shook violently. She seemed surprised that her performance could convey such emotions. Of course, it was only natural. The idea that music could clearly convey emotions was a lie.

As someone who believes that instruments are just instruments, no matter how well Viviana plays, I couldn’t possibly know how hard her life has been just from that.

“…I don’t understand what you’re saying, miss.”

“I have a good ear for music.”

I knew Viviana was exhausted simply because it was written that way in the game. As someone who had reincarnated into the daughter of a fallen noble, this was the only advantage I had, and I had to use it.

Viviana was pretending not to know, but the turmoil deep in her violet eyes already spoke the truth. I clung to the piano chair, smiling brightly, and spread my arms towards her.

“Come here, won’t you?”

“What?”

At my casual tone, Viviana frowned slightly and looked at me. After all, Viviana was a noble from a different world. Normally, I wouldn’t have dared to upset her, but now that I knew she had some affection for me, I didn’t need to hold back.

“I’ll hug you. I want to be a little comfort to you, my lady.”

“…Huh?”

Perhaps she was in a bad mood. Viviana’s eyes had cooled significantly compared to when she was playing the piano.

“Miss, you seem to be misunderstanding something. I’m not so weak as to seek comfort in someone’s embrace. And I’m not so troubled as to need it.”

At Viviana’s cold tone, I flinched. With trembling eyes, I slowly backed away from her, speaking in a sad voice.

“…Is that so? I just… thought you looked sad, and this was all I could do. I’m sorry if I offended you.”

“….”

“I won’t do it again, I’m really sorry…”

“Hah.”

This time, something seemed to bother her even more. Viviana grabbed my wrist as I tried to leave, her face twisted in displeasure.

“Why are you running away? I didn’t say that to make you apologize.”

“But… you seem angry, my lady…”

At my timid voice, Viviana hesitated for a moment, then let out a deep sigh and looked at me with softer eyes.

“I’m not angry. I was just surprised for a moment.”

“Can’t I comfort you, my lady…?”

“….”

I carefully spread my arms again, looking at Viviana. Unlike before, my arms were slightly trembling and shrinking, which seemed to stir Viviana’s heart.

“…Do you really want to hug me that much?”

I nodded vigorously without hesitation. Viviana stared at me intently, then finally sighed and raised her hands towards me.

“Fine, alright. This is a first for me, so it’s quite novel.”

With that, Viviana leaned into my embrace. Slowly approaching, she rested her face against my chest and wrapped her arms around my waist. If I had a fuller chest like my mother, I could have comfortably held Viviana, but unfortunately, my body was quite lean, so it wasn’t possible.

“…Hehe.”

I smiled as I held Viviana. Gently cradling her head with both hands, I patted her back.

“My lady, I heard you go to the frontlines every month to fight. I can’t even imagine how heavy your burden must be.”

“It’s fine. Dealing with paperwork is more annoying than cutting down enemies.”

“You’re always staining your blade with blood to protect the people of the empire. If it were me, I’d have collapsed under the guilt.”

“….”

In fact, one of Viviana’s many corruption routes in the game was triggered by too much killing. Even she, who was called the battlefield demon by her enemies, was just a person burdened by the weight of her actions.

“My lady, you’ve done nothing wrong. You’re sacrificing yourself to protect all of us, the people of the empire.”

No response came, but I continued speaking.

“No one thinks your suffering is理所当然. If I were you, I’d have fled to the heart of the empire to live a safe life.”

“But you’re always fighting… I’m endlessly grateful for your dedication, but it also makes me sad. It feels like you’re sacrificing yourself, my lady.”

“I wish you could rest a little… If you could put down the burden of being a princess and just relax…”

“Ah! Would you like to go to the sea with me later? I know a good place. The blue waves and the sound of the ocean might bring you some peace.”

“Or I know a really good pastry shop. Let’s go there sometime. Eating something sweet might improve your work efficiency, right?”

“I don’t know if this will comfort you, but… if you ever feel down, you can rely on me. I’ll hug you hundreds of times if you need it.”

“I wish you’d think of me as your pet. If you ever need me, I’ll always be your sanctuary, my lady.”

“Ah, and when you played the piano earlier, I really did fall for you. It was truly beautiful.”

“…My lady?”

“Are you asleep? Should I sing you a lullaby?”

“Oh, no. Then, can I keep holding you like this?”

“Hehe, thank you.”

“…My lady.”

“I’ll always be cheering for you.”

To my endless encouragement, Viviana remained silent for a while.