"Heh heh — while the big shots haven't started pushing yet, we're currently sitting at the top of the Three Rivers rankings. Thank you all, and please keep supporting~"
Once the decision on which instrument Lucian would learn was settled, Victor stood up from the sofa and clapped his hands. "As it happens, Rhein and Xavier finished modifying the harpsichord just a couple of days ago. Lucian, come with me today and let's test how it performs. Heh heh — its tone color, volume, and range far exceeded my expectations, surpassing every other instrument I know. The sound quality is slightly inferior, of course, but I believe it is no longer a harpsichord. It is an entirely new, revolutionary instrument. Lucian, let this brand-new instrument be where your true musical journey begins."
It was clear that Victor was extremely pleased with the results of the harpsichord modification. Normally a man of gentle smiles and careful composure, he now wore a radiant grin from ear to ear.
"If it's a brand-new, revolutionary instrument, then surely you, Mr. Victor, the one who proposed the improvements, should give it a proper name," Lot said with a smile as they headed up to the music room on the second floor, offering a bit of flattery.
Victor glanced at Lucian and asked warmly, "Lucian, what do you think it should be called? You played a big part in creating this new instrument, so why don't you offer your opinion for us to consider? Rhein believes the mechanical structure of this instrument is the most complex of any, fully embodying the beauty of mechanical art, so he thinks it should be called the 'Mechanical Keyed Instrument.' Heh heh — his violin playing is practically an art form, but his naming ability is, well… heh heh."
Though Victor trailed off, it was perfectly clear to Lucian, Lot, Phyllis, and Herodotus alike what he thought of Rhein's naming sense.
"And what about you and Mr. Xavier, Mr. Victor?" Lucian didn't directly suggest the name "Piano," instead asking with a touch of curiosity.
"Mr. Xavier thinks it should be called the 'Hammer-Struck Keyed Instrument,' since it was created by combining the hammered piano and the harpsichord. Heh heh." Victor shook his head with a smile, clearly unimpressed by that name. "I think it should be called the 'Full-Keyed Instrument,' because the hammered piano is also called the clavichord, the harpsichord is the large keyed instrument, and this new instrument's range is extremely broad — it covers nearly everything."
Honestly, none of them could name instruments to save their lives.
This was a fact that Lucian, Lot, and Phyllis all silently acknowledged at almost the same moment.
Lucian thought for a moment. He simply couldn't accept any of those three names, so without standing on ceremony he said, "Actually, the harpsichord is also known as the 'plucked piano,' which shares the word 'piano' with the hammered piano. It's often abbreviated as just 'piano,' and the word itself has a mechanical feel that fits perfectly with Mr. Rhein's thinking. It also carries the meaning of dynamic variation — soft and loud — which is precisely the defining characteristic of this new instrument's tone and volume. So, Mr. Victor, I think we should simply call it the 'piano.'"
Since the word was different from what existed on Earth, Lucian could only blend his original idea with some hastily constructed justifications.
"Grea—" Phyllis had finally heard a decent name and was about to voice her approval, but then she remembered that Mr. Victor hadn't spoken yet. Jumping in like that would be unseemly for a noblewoman and might go against Mr. Victor's wishes, so she clamped her mouth shut in a hurry. The ever-sharp-tongued Phyllis turned beet red, which paired strikingly with her flame-bright hair, making her look especially beautiful.
Lot and Herodotus were more composed — they simply nodded before catching themselves and shooting Phyllis an amused glance.
Victor pressed his lips together thoughtfully. "Piano. Hmm, good — very good. It captures both my idea and Mr. Rhein's, so now we don't have to keep arguing about it."
Lucian felt a twinge of embarrassment and nearly laughed out loud. So Mr. Victor had asked him to pick a name only because he and Mr. Rhein had been deadlocked, neither willing to concede on the choice.
Before long they arrived at the second-floor music room. Rhein — with his silver hair and ethereal, almost inhuman beauty — sat before the "piano" dressed in his beloved black and red. His slender fingers extended over the keys while his shoulders and arms barely moved, playing a gentle, melodious piece with elegant precision. The notes were delicate as a nighttime whisper or a lover's murmur, instantly quieting the hearts of all who heard and drawing them into the embrace of the music.
The spellbinding beauty of Rhein's piano performance left Lucian, Victor, and the others silent. They listened until the final note faded before offering soft, restrained applause, as though anything louder would shatter the tranquil beauty the music had woven.
"Mr. Rhein, I never imagined that besides the violin, your clavichord playing would be this exceptional — not one bit behind Ms. Silvia!" Phyllis's face flushed red once more, her eyes shining as she praised him with barely contained excitement.
Rhein had been using a clavichord piece to test how the "piano" performed at that range and volume, and it had sounded flawless. Silvia, for her part, was Altor's most accomplished clavichord player.
Because the clavichord was well suited to music rooms, drawing rooms, bedrooms, and other indoor settings, and its tone color and repertoire were deeply beloved by noble ladies and young women alike, Silvia was a frequent guest in aristocratic households, invited to attend banquets hosted by earls and viscounts. Rumor even had it that she was a close friend of Princess Natasha. With connections like those, Silvia was the most elevated and independent figure among the Musicians' Association's musicians.