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Renat’s face lit up at Ekaterina’s reply, and he walked lightly toward the piano.

The audience was buzzing with murmurs. Some whispered that it seemed impossible to perform a piece they’d only just heard for the first time in front of an audience, while others tilted their heads in disbelief, wondering if he was serious. Even Ekaterina, who’d given him the go-ahead, was starting to feel a little worried now.
But she had seen videos in her past life of people improvising by ear, so it must be something those with the talent can do.
The question was, could Renat do it?

Whether he sensed the tension in the air or not, Renat sat down casually at the piano and placed his hands on the keys.

Renat, a small boy, seemed to look much larger when faced with the instrument. That thought lasted only a moment.

His fingers began to move immediately.
From left to right across the keyboard, flowing smoothly. Renat had simply started playing a scale, but the speed and fluidity… His fingering, as if gliding over silk, produced a scale so beautiful in itself that the audience held their breath.
From low to high, reaching the far end of the keyboard, then back from high to low. After that, he repeated the low-register scale several times. The scale, which had started at a perfectly steady pace, began to waver slightly in speed and rhythm, like waves ebbing and flowing.
As she thought this, Ekaterina suddenly realized.

This is—the sound of the wind.

The moment she thought this, the scales stopped.
Renat struck a single key with his index finger.
In the music room, now deathly silent, a single, lonely note rang out—*plink*—and faded away.

He struck the same key again, and then once more… and just as she thought that, Renat slowly began to play a melody. The lonely sound of his right hand alone painted a scene of a solitary figure standing in the snow, where even footprints vanish.

Then, the chords of his left hand joined in. The beautiful chords were, precisely because of their beauty, also lonely.

But little by little, as if lifting his head from its downward gaze, the tempo picks up.

As expected—he really lives up to his reputation!
By this point, Ekaterina is already impressed.
Even though he’s only heard the melody once, he’s managed to transcribe it perfectly by ear. And he’s even arranged it with the lyrics in mind.
Since he’s only heard the a cappella version, it goes without saying that Renat’s transcription is based solely on the melody; the chords in the left hand are his own addition, born of his intuition. It’s entirely different from the original song, yet it’s beautiful and harmonizes perfectly with the melody. His perfect pitch is one thing, but his ability to improvise arrangements is truly extraordinary.

By the time the first chorus arrived, the piano melody was light and airy, with a bright, clear tone.
The left hand also played a quick, rhythmic pattern with bright chords, evoking a sense of budding hope and excitement.

The audience was already almost completely captivated. Any doubts about whether he could actually pull it off had vanished entirely; they surrendered themselves to the music, enjoying it as the atmosphere grew more and more electric.

In the section following the chorus, the budding hope burst forth all at once, blooming powerfully.
The sound grew stronger rather than lighter, evoking the image of confident strides.

In the final chorus, those “strides” turned into a “sprint.”
The melody dances, while the chords in the left hand are fiercely rhythmic. It’s the kind of music that makes the listener’s body move involuntarily, making them want to dance and sing along. Renat presses his lips together, moving both hands frantically as he pounds the keys. The performance, so intense it tosses his white hair about, finally reaches its climax and finds its release.
It masterfully expresses the exhilaration of breaking through walls and opening up the future.

At the very end, the melody declaring independence is played once again by his right hand alone.
Yet the tone remains powerful, leaving behind a resounding echo of victory as the performance comes to a close.

.

A chorus of cheers erupts, and applause breaks out.
The audience rises one after another to applaud Renat. It is the second standing ovation of the day.

Ekaterina was the first to rise. With a smile brimming with emotion, she clapped her hands loudly.
Wow, that was amazing!
I’d heard you were famed for being a musical prodigy in the Seleznyov region, but you really live up to that reputation. I was convinced after just one song.
You must be a genius. You were born with a rare musical talent.
You have such a cute face that made me think you’d surely be scouted by some idol agent, but that’s not quite right. If you had been born in my past life, you’d probably upload videos of yourself playing improvised pieces or songs you made with just a smartphone to video sites, and you’d become a star in no time. With your looks included, you’d definitely get an incredible number of views.

Just as she thought that, Ekaterina felt as if something had brushed the corner of her mind, and she furrowed her brow.
But that something never took shape; it simply faded away into a haze.

Well, never mind.
Anyway, I’m so glad we held this Evening of Music!
I thought it was just a class get-together, but it turned out to be “Got Talent”!

Renat stood up and bowed in response to the applause. He scanned the audience and bowed again. His pale face flushed, and he looked deeply moved.

“That was a wonderful performance, Lord Selezar.”

As the applause began to die down, Ekaterina spoke on behalf of everyone.

“What a wonderful talent you possess. To perform a piece you’ve only just heard so masterfully… The performance itself was absolutely lovely. I was completely captivated and couldn’t take my eyes off it.”

Applause broke out, as if in agreement with Ekaterina’s words. Voices exclaiming, “That was amazing,” and “It was truly wonderful,” rose from all around.

“Thank you, Lady Jurnova.”

With a shy smile, Renat replied.

“It’s because this song was so wonderful… It’s such a fresh and innovative piece, and the lyrics really touched my heart. Plus, you looked like you were having so much fun singing… I thought, ‘This is exactly what I’ve been looking for.’ I had no idea the Duchess Yurnova possessed such incredible talent. I feel ashamed of myself.”

Her usual aloofness was nowhere to be seen; Renat’s violet eyes gazed at Ekaterina with nothing but admiration.
No, that’s not it! I didn’t write this song!

“I believe I was born for music. But for a long time, I’ve felt this sense of stagnation… I’ve never been able to do something like this—freely improvising such an innovative piece and bringing joy to others. Thank you so much for letting me play. I’m incredibly happy right now.”

Renat spoke with genuine happiness, then looked out over the audience once more and bowed deeply in gratitude. Of course, warm applause erupted.
Oh no… I can’t say “I didn’t compose this” at a time like this…

Ekaterina’s eyes darted around in panic, then she suddenly realized something.
Olga, the next and final performer, was clapping for Renat but had gone completely pale.