A Capable Maid

The next day, while Marie was sleeping, someone suddenly knocked on her door.

“Marie! Marie?! Are you there?”

Marie was startled awake.
“Yes! I’m here.
What’s going on?”

When the door was opened, Jane, her fellow maid, asked with a puzzled expression on her face, “Did something happen last night?”

“Pardon?” Marie’s heart sank.
Something indeed happened last night.
‘D-Did someone see me?’

Her heart pounded.
‘No.
I’m sure nobody’s there when I was playing and even when I was done.
No one could’ve seen me.’

“Vahan, the conductor of the Imperial Court Orchestra, wants you to come to the Crystal Palace.
Come!” Her fellow maid said as Marie struggled to calm herself down.

Marie panted as she made her way to the Crystal Palace.
Even though it was early in the morning, the rehearsal room was bustling.

Inside were the key figures of the orchestra: the conductor Vahan, the concertmaster, and the assistant concertmaster.

Vahan was staring at the scroll of paper with a serious expression on his face, so unlike his usual air.
‘Ah, he summoned me to ask about the sheet music I left.’

The scroll of paper was the sheet music she’d written on the night before.
Marie let out a sigh of relief at the thought that she hadn’t been discovered.
‘Let’s keep this in mind: tread carefully; I didn’t write that; I don’t know anything.’

Meanwhile, Vahan and the other musicians carried on their discussion without noticing her presence.
“Then this isn’t written by you, concertmaster?”

“Of course, Maestro.
How can I write a piece like this?”

“How about you, assistant concertmaster?”

“Of course not.
You know this is beyond my capabilities.”

Vahan sighed in response.
“Then who the hell is it? Who made this masterpiece?”

The members of the orchestra asked, “Didn’t you write it Maestro? Isn’t this the finale of the Country Symphony you’ve composed?”

Vahan shook his head.
“No.
Sure, I was trying to come up with a finale like this, but I couldn’t develop the theme at all.
But this score…”

Vahan gulped.
What he’d been vaguely thinking about was fully realized.
With a higher level of skill, no less.
He couldn’t wrap his head around it.
‘Who the hell is it? Who wrote it?’

Then he noticed Marie’s arrival and asked frantically.
“Ah, Miss Marie? Sorry for calling you so early in the morning.
I have an urgent question to ask.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Did you not see the person who wrote this score in the rehearsal room last night?”

Marie shook her head.

She must answer carefully.

“I didn’t see anyone.”

“No one at all?”

“Yes.
I really haven’t seen anyone.”

Vahan not once had suspected that she was lying to him.
There was no particular reason for her to lie.
“Is that so? Haa*.
So, who the hell left this sheet music?”

*sound of sighing.

“…What’s going on?”

“Take a look at this.”

Vahan unfolded the sheet music and showed it to Marie.
It was the score she’d composed yesterday.

“Someone wrote a masterpiece on this sheet music and left without a trace.”

A masterpiece! She put on an astonished expression at his excessive praise.
Of course, she’s aware that the symphony’s finale was wonderful, but hearing such glowing praise right in front of her made her feel embarrassed.
“Um… weren’t you, Maestro, trying to do the same thing?”

“I would have, but I only had a faint idea.
I never would’ve thought to conclude it this way.” And then he groaned.
“What’s even more surprising is that they only wrote the essential themes.
It’s like giving me a hint and telling me to proceed this way!”

Marie had nothing to say because he was right.
She was trying to give him a hint.

She asked cautiously, “Then, can’t you complete the rest based on it?”

“Of course I can.
All the important themes have been resolved.”

“Then what’s the problem…?”

Vahan shook his head.
“There’s nothing wrong with it.
Rather, it’s amazing.
I would be able to complete the Country symphony that I’ve longed for my whole life! But…!”

He said in an excited voice, “I really want to meet the person who wrote this.
How on earth did they create such a masterpiece! I’m sure they’re an exceptional person who’s incomparably better than me! I really want to meet and learn from them.”

Hearing him talk, Marie was taken aback.
‘What? He wanted to learn from me? Is he serious?’

But when she saw his eyes, she gulped.
Those blazing eyes seemed to indicate that he’d beg on his knees just to be accepted as her pupil.

‘Oh God.’ Not a chance! Marie vowed that she would never get caught.

But then, the sound of combat boots approached them.

‘How come His Highness’ Royal Guard Knight is here?’ Marie, who recognized the identity of the approaching person, made an astonished expression.

It was Almond, the Crown Prince’s Royal Guard Knight, who appeared during the previous sculpture incident.

‘Why is he here this time?’

Just when an ominous feeling crossed her mind, Almond said, “Who’s the conductor here?”

“It’s me, Vahan.
I’m the conductor.”

Vahan raised his hand with a puzzled expression.

“I see.
Follow me.
His Highness the Crown Prince is waiting for you.”

“…!”

It took everyone by surprise.
Why was the Crown Prince of