Chapter 46
When I turned my head, I saw Lilianne sitting at the piano.
I didnāt know Lilianne could play the pianoā¦
“Is this the kind of feeling you’re talking about?”
Her fingers, which had been gently tapping the keys, moved so fast they were almost invisible. The melody was clear, and when she hit the highlight parts, the powerful, dramatic notes made everyoneās attention snap to her.
The piece she was playing was a punk pop song from a famous female pop artist from my previous life. It had a strong and energetic melody, the kind that left an impression, and it was a song I had played a few times with the band.
“She’s pretty good, huh?”
The musicians, as well as myself, were staring with our mouths wide open. After finishing, Lilianne gave a shy smile.
“I think Claire would want something more intense and rough like this.”
At Lilianne’s words, I eagerly nodded at the band members.
“Yes! Exactly like that!”
Then Hans, the bassist I had recruited, looked thoughtful and spoke up.
“Hmm… I think I get the feeling you’re talking about.”
Both Lilianne and I brightened at Hansās words.
“I know someone who plays like that.”
Oh, there was already someone who played that way?
I eagerly asked,
“Who is it?”
Hans looked around at the other musicians and shrugged.
“He’s a bit of a weirdo, so he doesnāt play with others.”
The musicians exchanged glances as Hans continued,
“If you ask around here, everyone will know the strange violinist.”
“He plays violin, flute, and even the cello by himself.”
“And heās good with strange instruments that commoners like.”
What do they mean by “strange instruments” for commoners?
The musicians added their comments, and Hans finished,
“He never plays normal musicāonly his own compositions or improvisations. The vibe is very similar to what Madam wants.”
A genius violinist who never plays normal music!
While itās hard to replicate the intensity of electric guitar with other instruments, the violin could give a similar, powerful melody.
Iāve heard a violinist before whose performance surpassed even the intensity of electric guitar.
Who cares if heās a strange! If he can give me the vibe Iām looking for, thatās all that matters.
“Where can I find him?”
At my question, Hans scratched his forehead, looking uneasy.
“Wellā¦ it might be dangerous for Madam to go aloneā¦”
When I gave him a confused look, he hesitated before continuing.
“He was once a promising genius musician from a noble family, but now his family has fallen, and he lives in the slums. You can probably find him in a tavern near there.”
He muttered something under his breath, almost hesitating to continue.
“But since heās such an eccentric, Iām not sure if heāll even come if Madam goes directlyā¦”
A fallen noble with a strong sense of prideāsounds like the beginning of a genius musician story, right?
Feeling pleased, I nodded with satisfaction.
“Thanks for the info, Hans. Iāll take it from here.”
Looking around, I cheerfully announced,
“Letās end the rehearsal here!”
The musicians, who had gathered around me, began to pack up their instruments with relieved expressions. I walked past them and approached Lilianne, who was still sitting at the piano.
“Did you major in piano? Youāre really good!”
At my question, Lilianne blushed shyly and tucked her hair behind her ear.
“Ahā¦ not really. When I was a child actress, I had a small role where I played the piano. I didnāt want to hire a replacement, so I practiced, and it eventually became a hobby.”
Wow, sheās really serious about acting, huh? Itās amazing she hasnāt become famousā¦
I looked at her in amazement, shaking my head and clapping.
“Piano confirmed!”
“Huhā¦?”
No other pianist could capture the pop-punk and pop-folk vibes I wanted.
Until another pianist could adapt, Iād have to ask Lilianne to do itā¦ Heh heh.
***
Just in case, I brought Sabrina as my bodyguard to check out the slums. It was to find the eccentric musician Hans had mentioned.
I couldāve brought Hectorās crew for protection, but I was afraid the musician would get scared and run away.
Sabrina, who didnāt look threatening at all, was perfect for the job. Even in unexpected situations, Sabrina could handle anything.
“Is it really okay to just be wandering around looking for someone without even knowing their name?”
Sabrina couldnāt help but comment on how inefficient this was.
“Iāll know them when I see them.”
“Oh, is he walking around with āgenius musicianā written on his face?”
Ignoring Sabrinaās grumbling, I spotted something in the third tavern we checked out.
“Oh? Found him!”
“Huh? Really?”
Sabrina turned to me in disbelief.
There, sitting at the bar, was a thin man in shabby clothes drinking. Beside him, there were a violin, flute, and other instrumentsāclearly a musician.
The instruments looked cheap, so it seemed like no one would bother stealing them.
“See? I knew Iād spot him.”
“Yeahā¦”
Sabrina and I cautiously approached the man, who didnāt seem to notice us. He was casually sipping cheap liquor.
“Are you the eccentric, no, genius violinist of this area?”
At my question, the man glanced at us, then seemed to notice our attire and responded in a bored tone.
“I donāt perform for noble ladies.”
He probably misunderstood that we were noblewomen looking for a performance from the band.
“Iām not interested in that kind of performance either.”
At my meaningful words, he glanced at me briefly, then snorted and went back to drinking.
“Iām not a paid musician.”
Hmmā¦ heās not motivated by money.
I casually pulled out a pouch of gold coins from my luxurious-looking wallet and handed it to the tavern owner.
I wasnāt worried about money, since I had the support of Count Devonshire.
“Please pay for his drinks with this.”
The stunned tavern employee quickly grabbed the coins.
The eccentric musician, however, kept drinking without caring.
“Iāll meet all your conditions. All I ask is one thing: I want you to perform at my salon.”
At the mention of the salon, the man gave a small laugh, clearly uninterested.
“You want me to be a spectacle for nobles? And I donāt do ensembles. Nobles and musicians, those high-class people, donāt understand the music I play.”
At the man’s firm words, Sabrina and I exchanged glances. He was tougher than I expected.
As we pondered how to approach him, my eyes caught something familiar. It was a poor-quality wooden objectāno other than a guitar.
“Huh? Thereās a guitar in this era?”
I remembered a time when I briefly looked into the history of the guitar. Even in my past life, the guitar had been around for quite a long time. Similar instruments existed as far back as the 14th century, and guitars very similar to the modern version appeared around the 18th century.
Given that there were violins and cellos in this world, it wouldnāt be too strange for a guitar to exist here as well.
Excited, I walked over to the guitar. It wasnāt the electric guitar I usually played, but it was similar to the classical guitar thatās well known.
Sabrina and the man stared at me, puzzled.
“This is a guitar, right?”
At my question, the man raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“A noble lady knows about guitars? Guitars are instruments for commoners.”
He muttered bitterly under his breath.
“Itās funny how they divide noble and commoner with instruments when they both serve the same purpose of conveying music.”
Ignoring his muttering, I carefully picked up the guitar. I strummed the strings, and a smooth, melodic sound flowed out.
It wasnāt like the electric guitar, but it still had a pleasant tone.
Sabrina and the man stared at me with wide eyes.
I gave them a sly smile.
“Itās been so long since I properly held a guitarā¦”
