The Pianist of the Lost Hearts

Chapter VI

The black eyes looked towards the voice, intersecting with the hazel gaze that brimmed with surprise. There was Mélodie, at the entrance to the library, with her hand resting on the jamb, in a position that seemed to be peering hesitantly.

Recognizing the figure that was holding in the sheet music book, her tense posture relaxed, pushing herself away from the jamb and entering the room, her hands clasped together.

"Surprised to see you here, Ludwig."He stayed for a few seconds with no reaction, just gaping, until he came to his senses and bowed a little as a sign of respect, still with the book open in his hands.

"Good night, Miss." With that, he opened his lips several times, thinking about what he was going to say. "I'm surprised for the same reason about you."

The pianist gave a sideways smile, escaping a small satirical laugh.

"Why are you here?" She walked closer, staring with her icy gaze. "Not just anyone can be in this room."

"I was appointed to be its caretaker, miss." He closed the book in his other hand and took a step toward her, his expression calm and steady. "I'm just getting to know my new job."

"Hm." She watched him suspiciously. "Do you know how to read sheet music?"

This time, it was the maestro's turn to smile sideways, charmingly.

"Are you interviewing me for a job?" He took another step forward, getting closer and closer to the pianist. "Don't you think I'm fit for the job?"

"You seem pretty confident you have the skills to do it." She returned the gesture, taking another step. "Shouldn't I consider that suspicious for a newcomer?"

A thin smile was drawn on the curve of his lips, feeling light in front of her, as for a moment he had forgotten who she was, just playing that game.

"I can only have a good resume, don't you think?"

He ran his fingers through her hair, with his laughing look that made the pianist's heart skip beats and losing her posture for a few seconds. Her grandeur had been silenced by the softness of those slanted eyes that showed no fear, unlike all the others that surrounded her every day, pleading only for her music.

Her voice came out in a calm and thoughtful tone:

"Aren't you afraid of me, Ludwig?"

The hazel gaze stared at him deep in her eyes, gleaming with the moonlight that lit her face from the side, turning her figure into a painting. That sight made Ludwig's heart throb strongly out of his chest and make his lips tremble despite appearing safe and confident with the words he uttered.

"Of you? No. If I were the evil queen everyone talks about, I would have been annihilated behind my back."

Those words made Mélodie's heart stop. Her eyes widened in surprise, all her words had escaped her lips and her icy walls had briefly collapsed.

He took one last step. Their faces were so close that their breath caressed each other's cheeks. The silence was muffled by the beating of their hearts, which insisted on increasing more and more, without either of them being able to control them.

Mélodie felt upset with that lack of control of herself, but she could not look away from those oriental eyes that watched her so calmly. That empathy caused her shivers and a million questions in her head about who was that young man who had dared to approach her over and over again, even knowing the rumors and rumors of the danger he was subject to.

"Who are you, Ludwig?"

"I?" His velvety voice made Mélodie's heart race. "I'm just a young man who makes a living from music, miss."

The pianist, trying to regain her posture and regain control of her heart, faced him in an icy way, resting her hand on his left chest, feeling the pulsation of the musician's heart on the surface of the palm of her hand, which strongly beat, when he felt the tips of her fingers land on the fabric of his shirt.

"Be careful who's in front of you, Ludwig. Because... You don't play with fire." Her voice was calm, but at the same time threatening, making him wake up from his peace, shivering from head to toe. "This is my warning, music boy."

With that, she removed her hand from his chest and walked away, graceful as a monarch, walking to the exit of that room. The sound of the door closing came in an unsettling echo, followed by dry aftershocks.

Ludwig were unresponsive. Her eyes couldn't move away from that door that had been closed, by her. The only sound that could be heard in that room was his heart that galloped strongly, still feeling the warmth that was left of her hand. A thump was heard hitting the floor from a book that had landed open a short distance from her feet.

His hands trembled slightly, still shaken by the strong emotion, placing one of them on his chest and letting her body lean against one of the shelves, trying to slowly processing the craziness of what he had done, the craziness of being so informal and so relaxed in front of her, after all those warnings.

Why am I acting like this? Why? He ran his hand through his hair nervously. Aish! I'm not like that! What's wrong with me when I'm with her? My brain seems to stop working.He tipped his head back, closing his eyes, and sighed deeply. He felt her body burning with heat and the sweat that had gathered in his palm. However, his mind seemed lost in the new memories of that moment, recalling the brief moments when those hazel eyes were not icy or threatening, but just calm and serene, when he peeked hesitantly in the doorway of that room.In a deep, thoughtful voice, he whispered to himself:

"Who are you really, Mélodie?"