MPO

CHAPTER Vll

Lucas ordered a glass of cheap wine and sat at a table with a bored expression.

Despite his shabby clothes, his naturally refined aura was noticed by those around him. However, the bizarre mask he wore made him seem unapproachable.

Still, the women in the bar showed interest in him, and the men displayed a sense of wariness. It was an instinctive reaction to a well-off male of the same species.

Lucas, accustomed to but displeased by such gazes, silently endured them and let out a regretful sigh as he checked the time.

“Is she not coming today, either?”

The identity of the enigmatic violinist remained unknown, as she did not visit daily. This was information grudgingly given by the bar’s owner to Lucas, almost as a favor.

Thus, lucky days were when he could listen to the violinist play, and unlucky days ended with him returning home empty-handed.

Just as he thought today would be another such day, the sound of a violin suddenly filled the air without warning.

“Ah…”

Even though the performer hadn’t taken the stage, the mere sound of the music was enough to indicate the awaited violinist had arrived.

The violinist’s playing had a peculiar power. It was ticklish yet piercing, and sometimes it seemed somber yet was rich and seductive.

The melody, never playing as one might expect, was capricious but resonated strongly within him. Philip would probably look at him strangely again if he said he heard a cry for freedom coming from deep within.

Above all, the most charming aspect of this nameless violinist’s performance was its poignant beauty, which made the listeners’ eyes sting with tears.

Thus, Lucas was eager to persuade the violinist to let him become her patron as soon as possible.

He thought she must be performing in such a shabby bar due to a hard life.

The violinist did not stop playing for almost an hour.

No, rather, it felt as though she had to play to survive, as if breathing to stay alive, such was the desperation felt in her performance.

Just when he thought he could listen for hours more, the performance reached its climax and then concluded.

The bar, which had been silent for a few seconds, suddenly erupted into cheers and whistles.

Whistle—!

“Bravo!”

“The violin performance here beats any orchestra that nobles watch!”

“Encore, encore!”

The violinist, unknown by name and face, had captivated not just Lucas. Many who visited the bar became regulars, hoping to catch a performance by this nameless violinist, even by chance.

Determined to find out the violinist’s identity today, Lucas hurriedly settled his bill and exited the bar. He moved quickly, looking for a door that led backstage.

* * *

“Hey, aren’t you Anna?”

Waiting outside the bar for Leila, Anna frowned upon suddenly being stopped by Timo. Not missing her reaction, Timo approached her mockingly.

“Aha, so it’s because you’re serving someone else that you don’t see the value in greeting me?”

“…Good evening, Young Master.”

Reaching right in front of Anna, Timo brushed back his sleek blond hair and tilted his head slightly.

“Lucky me. You haven’t forgotten I’m the young master of the household you’re serving.”

“Of course not.”

“I thought for a second you were so focused on looking after the eldest miss that you’d completely ignore a lowly youngest master like me.”

Anna felt a surge of irritation at his blatant provocation but did not show it on her face.

Since Leila was inside performing, she replied quietly and expressionlessly to avoid being noticed.

“I am the dedicated maid of the eldest miss, so you must have felt that way. I will pay more attention to my attitude in the future.”

Timo, coming closer and looking down at her, murmured in a cold voice,

“You wouldn’t even say sorry if you were about to die.”

“…I apologize, Young Master.”