Inside the VIP small dining room.
A long dining table stretched between two candelabras on either side. The flickering amber candlelight cast an intimate warmth over the scene, and together with the gentle, flowing melodies played by the chamber orchestra, it created an indescribable sense of romance.
"If only the man sitting across from me weren't this rude, uncultured, ugly brute — everything would be perfect." Grace elegantly scooped a portion of red caviar into her mouth, then glanced up at Granuf on the other side of the table. His puffy face, thinning hair, and grotesquely ugly features instantly made her stomach turn — even an ordinary fat man would have been a vast improvement.
Granuf pinched the slender stem of his wine glass, displaying what he believed to be a captivating smile. "Grace, your temperament is even more admirable than your looks — especially when you're quietly playing the piano. Is every girl with decent musical talent this enchanting?"
Grace nearly retched on the spot, yet a thick wave of smugness rose in her heart all the same. Though Granuf was already in his forties, he ranked among the top twenty wealthiest men in Sturck City, and he maintained deep ties with nobles like Viscount Wright. He was a man who possessed both power and fortune. Being pursued by such a man — even if her heart wasn't stirred — was something worthy of bragging and taking pride in.
"Ever since I became Mr. Evans's student and earned the title of 'Musician,' all those men who once looked down on me have started flocking around." The desire to conquer really is every man's common failing, Grace mused while offering a modest smile. "Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Granuf."
Then she dabbed the corner of her mouth with a white napkin. "Excuse me — I need to use the restroom."
Just as she rose to her feet, the guard stationed by the door stepped forward. "Miss Grace, the waiter informed us earlier that the restroom in the small dining room has suddenly developed a problem. You'll have to go downstairs."
Granuf spoke with a touch of anger, "How could there be a problem? What on earth are the restaurant staff doing?" He was, in fact, the actual owner of this restaurant.
"It's fine — nobody wanted this to happen, and it's not far downstairs." Grace replied with the composure befitting a musician.
Granuf nodded approvingly. "Grace, I think you've become even more charming."
Grace pressed her lips tightly together, responding only with a smile lest she actually throw up. Then, led by the small dining room's attendant, she made her way to the first-floor restroom.
Opening the door, she found a full-length mirror, with two sinks set before it — a layout designed to make it convenient for ladies to touch up their makeup. Grace stepped out of the women's room on the left and stood before the sinks, freshening up her cosmetics. Gazing at her radiant reflection, she couldn't help but hum a cheerful melody.
This melody was just like her current mood. After the long, arduous journey of the Altor Music Festival — after all that hardship and torment — her life had become something out of a dream. Money, honor, praise, and adoration that she had never even imagined before now came flooding toward her in overwhelming waves.
After finishing her touch-up, Grace murmured softly to her beautiful, captivating reflection in the mirror: "This time last year, you were just an ordinary musician — haggard and bleak, relying on the savings scraped together by your father, mother, and brother just to have a chance at making your dream journey to Altor. This time this year, you're already the Tulip of Sturck, a musician with a boundless future. You've gotten your family a three-story villa, you're being pursued by numerous nobles and merchants, and you're living a life of luxury you never could have imagined."
"Grace, remember — all of this happened because you were the best in the band at learning and playing the piano. That's why it was you who ascended to this position, not Piola, not Sharon, not Greene, not Lester. You must not let life bewilder you into forgetting your music and your piano."
Then her lips moved soundlessly: "All of this also happened because you met that genius musician. And life now is like a flower blooming at the edge of a cliff — the more beautiful it blooms, the more dangerous it becomes." This worry surfaced often, but it was always quickly smothered by the dreamlike beauty of her life, numbing her into waiting for judgment's arrival amid happiness and joy — just like now.
Grace's spirits quickly lifted once more. She gathered her cosmetics and was about to leave, but when she looked up, she suddenly caught sight in the full-length mirror of a young man with black hair, dark eyes, and a handsome, composed face who had just walked into the restroom.
Her entire body went rigid in an instant. Indescribable terror spread across her face, and the leather bag slipped from her hands, dropping to the floor with the faint clink of bottles and jars colliding. "M-Mr. Evans." Though Grace knew she should pretend she hadn't seen him, cover her face, hurry out of the restroom, and then flee Sturck with her parents and family — this nightmare she had long dreaded had finally descended. It left her feeling as though she were trapped in endless terror, losing control of both her body and her voice, teeth chattering as she called out as though in a dream.
Lucian walked over to the other sink, scooped water from the reservoir and poured it in, and said with a faint smile: "Hello, Grace. I almost didn't recognize you just now — you really have changed quite a bit. Heh heh, dressing up and being in a good mood can always make someone look beautiful."