“Hmmm…”
“This… is impossible.”
“Incredible…?”
I could finally empathize with lab rats. That was exactly my current state.
Five imperial physicians in white coats had me surrounded.
They were pressing all sorts of instruments against my body—listening to my heartbeat, shining lights into my pupils.
They even pricked the tip of my finger with a thin silver needle to draw blood!
Why are they doing this to me! But I was the lab rat. Resistance wasn’t an option.
“Please hold still.”
Unfair. I was already holding still, and yet they said that.
The elderly chief physician was glaring at me sharply through his glasses.
I obediently shut my mouth. This was one intense health checkup. Of course health matters, but still.
‘But… why is the atmosphere like this?’
The emotional color in the air felt strange, to put it mildly.
The physicians’ expressions as they looked at me were far from normal—grave, yet brimming with fascination.
One could even call it a bizarre mix of shock and pity.
It felt like they were looking at a living fossil. Or like scientists who’d just discovered a talking puppy?
That kind of vibe. Once again, I truly understood lab rats.
Back to square one.
“Mana response: zero.”
“Not even a trace of circuits.”
“Just… what is this?”
They muttered among themselves, but of course I couldn’t understand a single word.
This is why education matters. All I could pick up on was the nuance in their tone.
The nuance that my physical condition was not “normal.” An uneasy, ominous feeling.
‘…Do I have some terminal illness?’
But I’d been perfectly fine until now. Come to think of it… in my previous life, I once read a psychology book.
It said humans tend to imagine the worst.
For example, if someone catches a cold.
The moment they start coughing, that person imagines they’ve caught a deadly disease.
Humans are wired to picture the worst-case scenario. Remembering that suddenly made me feel calmer.
Right. If it were something truly serious, I’d already be hospitalized. Or I wouldn’t have even been allowed into the palace.
“The examination is complete.”
The elderly physician announced. I fumbled to button up my shirt. Honestly, it hadn’t been a pleasant experience.
Because Anna had been watching the entire thing from afar! Eek! Stop staring! Where are you looking?!
Of course I didn’t say it out loud.
“Um… the results…”
“Please wait a moment.”
The physician cut me off and approached Anna standing by the door.
He whispered something into her ear. After hearing it, Anna looked at me with wavering eyes.
‘Okay, seriously—what is it?’
The physicians filed out in a group, leaving only Anna and me in the examination room. A heavy silence settled.
“Lady Anna.”
I spoke cautiously.
“The results… how are they? Is something wrong with my body?”
“…”
Anna didn’t answer right away. She avoided my gaze and stared at the floor.
“…For now.”
After a long pause, she finally spoke.
“For now, you’re fine. You won’t collapse immediately.”
“???”
Why the nuance like that? “For now”? Doesn’t that imply it won’t stay that way later?
Hmm… If I start exercising and eating healthy from now on, maybe it’ll get better. Probably just some nutritional imbalance or something.
“If I manage it… it’ll improve, right?”
Anna lifted her head and looked at me.
“…Yes. Probably.”
At that point I seriously started wondering: Was this woman just cursing me?
Why deliver it with that kind of nuance?
I guarantee you—someone with that tone could make a perfectly healthy person feel like they were on death’s door.
“Do not overexert yourself. Absolutely. If playing the piano puts too much strain on your body… you must stop immediately.”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
I nodded. If piano playing could make me collapse, how frail was I?
Maybe she was just euphemistically saying I lacked exercise. When I opened the door and stepped out into the waiting area, I saw Haruna.
But something was wrong with her.
She wasn’t even sitting on the sofa—just standing there, biting her lip so hard it was bleeding.
Her face was deathly pale, and her hands were trembling.
“Haruna?”
When I called her name, she flinched and looked up sharply.
“Hey…”
Her voice cracked.
“Are you okay? Does anything hurt?”
“Huh?”
I shrugged.
“I’m perfectly fine? Same as always.”
“…”
At my answer, Haruna’s pupils wavered slightly. Guess I usually looked pale to her.
“Really? That’s a relief…”
“Yeah. If I mess up here, ugh…”
I shook my head. Anna called out to Haruna.
“Lady Haruna.”
“Ah, y-yes. I’ll go right away.”
Haruna entered the examination room. And exactly one minute later, she came back out.
Her checkup was about ten times faster than mine. Maybe dwarves are just that sturdy. With that, the two of us left the clinic.
***
Anna led the way, with Haruna and I following behind.
The strange part was that Haruna kept gripping my sleeve tightly and refused to let go.
‘She must be really nervous because we’re in the palace.’
I patted her hand reassuringly.
‘Honestly, I’m freaking out too. Let’s get through this together.’
The place Anna guided us to was the Crystal Annex. Sunlight poured through the glass ceiling. The greenhouse was filled with the fragrance of flowers.
In the center stood a black piano. And Lia was waiting for us.
When we entered, she rose from her seat and approached.
“Did the examination go well?”
Lia’s gaze scanned my complexion.
“Yes. Thank you. I feel more energized now.”
“I’m glad.”
Lia gave a faint smile, then walked over to the piano. Her fingers gently stroked the fallboard.
“Um… Sir Aiman.”
“Yes.”
“Could you… teach me as well?”
“Teach you the piano?”
Lia nodded. She really wasn’t even trying to hide her identity anymore, was she?
The way she appeared so naturally in the palace… Should I start calling her “Your Highness”…?
No. I won’t say it until she does herself. After thinking it over, I answered.
“Of course—it would be an honor… but it won’t be as easy to learn as you might think.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
Lia looked at me.
“I want to experience—even just a little—the world as you see it. The world that allows you to create such beautiful music…”
This world wasn’t just any fantasy. It was romance fantasy.
After hearing Lia’s words, I felt like dropping a line like that. Such a poetic, sensual remark. Very impressive.
“By the way, Sir Aiman and Lady Haruna will be meeting with others tomorrow. I’m referring to the imperial orchestra.”
Anna explained, and I understood. So today was just to stay here like this.
Right. I should teach her piano. Earn some goodwill. From Her Highness.
“It’s not difficult. I’ll teach you. It’s easier than you think.”
“Really…?”
“Of course. As long as you have fingers, anyone can play.”
Lia cautiously sat on the piano bench. Her shoulders were tense with nervousness.
“Okay, relax your body. Keep your wrists soft…”
For a split second, I almost placed my hand over hers.
Oh shit…
I nearly committed a crime of lese-majesty. Lia awkwardly adjusted her posture according to my instructions.
‘She really is beautiful up close.’
Seen from the side, Lia’s violet eyes had an almost hypnotic, captivating depth—like they could pull you in.
If she noticed me thinking this, my head would probably roll for disrespect.
‘What piece should I teach her?’
Her posture was roughly correct now. I couldn’t help but ponder.
Anyone who’s ever touched a piano knows: it’s easy and difficult at the same time.
To be precise—the sound comes easily, but creating harmony between those sounds is hard.
‘Something easy, yet impressive-looking.’
That was the key. Technically simple, but with a beautiful melody that makes both player and listener feel like they’re doing something extraordinary.
And above all, a piece that matched the atmosphere of this greenhouse and the wistful look in Lia’s eyes.
At that moment, one piece flashed through my mind.
A simple repeating melody. Yet filled with endless lyricism.
A mystical feeling like watching an ancient Greek dancer, and a dreamlike sensation of floating through empty space.
The French composer Erik Satie. His immortal masterpiece.
[Gymnopédie No. 1]
This piece was perfect for a beginner to pick up quickly. The left hand simply drops low bass notes—plink, plink—while the right hand sings slowly above it.
Not difficult, yet deeply soothing—a healing music that calms the heart of anyone who hears it.
I’ll play it first to demonstrate.
“Then… may I play the piece I’m going to teach you first?”