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Preparations for the evening of music proceeded without a hitch.

If we had tried to hold an event like this in Japan, we might have had a hard time assembling a lineup of performers. Since it was a society that valued the virtue of modesty, people tended not to put themselves forward, even if they were confident in their abilities. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case here in the Empire..

The nobility has always enjoyed hosting concerts and similar events. They often not only invite musicians to perform but also play instruments and sing themselves. Incidentally, it’s not just music; they also bring their own poems to read aloud or write scripts and perform short plays themselves.
In this era, with neither the internet nor television, entertainment simply had to be created by the people themselves. Since professional performances were rarely heard, the level of skill required wasn’t particularly high—or rather, even if one was a bit unskilled, they weren’t criticized for it. Everyone is very laid-back.

So, with just a quick call, a good number of people who were confident in their singing or could play an instrument gathered.
We negotiated with the school and managed to secure the music room for use after school.
We can’t exactly announce it openly, but it seems they’ll turn a blind eye if we bring in food and drinks, so we decided to secretly bring some light snacks. After all, our classmates who weren’t performing—the ones just there to listen—would probably get bored otherwise. Even if they’re nobles, students are still hungry little monsters.

We tried to set the date around Renat, the cute, standoffish guy, but he flat-out said he had “zero” days that worked for him.
So, we decided that if he happened to have time on the day of the event, he was more than welcome to join us as a last-minute guest after the performance.

While we were sorting this out, word spread to other classes, and it looks like the audience might grow.

.

Prince Mikhail had also heard about it, and when he ran into Ekaterina during lunch break, he told her he was looking forward to it. He seems fully intent on coming to listen.

“I remember you singing with Flora on the fast boat. I found your voice nice then.”
“We actually plan to perform that very song. Since you’ve already heard it, I’m sure you’ll find it boring.”
“I’ve been wanting to hear it again, so I’m actually happy about that. That song really stuck with me. The crew members on the fast boat were humming it.”

Oh. As expected of a global hit from a past life.

“Did you write that?”

Gyaa!

“N… no. I heard it somewhere. Um… I think my mother taught it to me when I was little.”

I’m sorry, Mother.
But I just can’t bear to say, “I wrote the lyrics and composed the music” for a global hit song~~~.

“I see… I’ve heard your mother was considered a paragon of noblewomen; she must have had a wonderful sensibility.”
“I-I’m flattered.”

It hurts. My chest hurts!

“His Majesty the former Emperor is very fond of music. Since he’s your great-uncle, why don’t you pay him a visit sometime? I think he’d be delighted if you played for him then.”

Beep!

Ekaterina suddenly turned into a sugar beet, a specialty of Jurnova.

Visiting His Majesty the former Emperor? That’s scary!
…But come to think of it, since he’s my grandmother’s younger brother, he’s my great-uncle… Since he’s family, it’s only natural to meet him…
Waaah, what should I do?

Fluttering the leaves on her head, Sugar Beet Ekaterina is flustered.

She’s exchanged words with His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress during imperial visits, and she’s friends with the Crown Prince—so why is she so shaken by the idea of meeting the former emperor now?
Well, she was pretty nervous about the imperial visit beforehand too, so maybe it can’t be helped.

“I-I shall discuss it with my brother…”
“Yeah, go ahead. It’ll be fine; he’s a kind man. Besides, I’ll go with you, so you don’t need to worry.”
“Thank you so much for your consideration… I’d appreciate your help then.”

Ekaterina found herself saying this without thinking, and later felt dejected, wondering what she was doing by involving the prince in her affairs.

.

A shadow fell over those smooth-sailing days one day, just a few days before the musical evening.

“Lady Ekaterina, I’m so sorry. I won’t be able to attend after all.”

Olga said this, her shoulders slumped in dejection.

When a surprised Ekaterina asked why, she was told that it had been decided that from now on, Olga would be responsible for cleaning Lydia’s room every day.

Wait, hold on, Olga-chan! My head is spinning with questions! Where do I even start?

“Lady Olga… what on earth is the reason for that?”
“I don’t know. But I suspect it might be the young lady’s wish…”

Well, that’s what I’m thinking, anyway.

“Did Lady Seleznyov tell you that herself?”
“I can’t speak directly with the young lady. I’m just a daughter from a local noble family. I have to finish cleaning while she’s away so she doesn’t see me. It was Lord Selezar who told me of this arrangement. Well, Lord Selezar seemed troubled by it as well…”
“……”

I had a pretty good idea.
In the Seleznyov household, there must be a rule that members of the local noble family are not allowed to speak directly with members of the main house, the Marquis’s family.

Having to work without being seen… that’s treating others like a mere maid…

Even Mina, who is an actual maid, sees me every day and talks to me. But I know this is a special situation while I’m attending the academy; normally, a duke’s daughter doesn’t speak directly to maids.
Well, I used to talk directly with the maids almost every day back at the estate, too. After all, the lady of the house has to communicate with them about work and other matters.

But I don’t think the Seleznyov family’s rules are typical either. Olga-chan is, by the Empire’s standards, a bona fide noblewoman. In that case, she should be treated as a lady-in-waiting, not a maid. The fact that she’s not even allowed to show her face…

I mean, telling her to clean every day is totally workplace harassment.
It’s just a hunch with no evidence, but isn’t the real target of this harassment actually me, not Olga-chan?
Oh, maybe it’s because I’m arranging the Evening of Music that Lydia-chan feels like she’s being challenged…?
I mean, the prince said he’s coming to listen, too.
No, really, that’s not what it is at all.

But even if I tried to properly argue back—or protest, really—Lydia-chan probably wouldn’t take me seriously.
She didn’t say it directly herself. If I tried to argue, she’d probably just say, “I never said such a thing,” and if I’m not careful, Olga-chan might end up being called a liar… ugh.

“Forgive me, Lady Ekaterina. I was looking forward to it too… but even though it’s just cleaning, I have to wait the entire time the young lady is in her room, so I don’t know how long it will take. So, I’m afraid I won’t be able to attend… I’m sorry for the sudden change of plans and the inconvenience…”

Seeing Olga looking dejected, Ekaterina panicked.

“Please don’t worry about it, Lady Olga. I was just lost in thought, wishing that, if possible, you could join us as well. I’d like to take a moment to see if there’s anything I can do.”

If Olga-chan herself was looking forward to it, I want to find a way to make it work. In a way that avoids causing a rift with the Seleznyov family—a peaceful solution.
But I’m still not used to these kinds of disputes among the nobility. Honestly, it’s not my strong suit.

I think I’ll try the RCC of Business.