Only then did Hwani recall what young Camillo had said earlier.

　　At the same time, doubts rose within her. Ezio had countless fans, including her. There were surely plenty of female singers like Ginevra who were desperate to catch his eye. Yet he had never once been in a relationship in his life?

　　“Have you… never dated a woman?”

　　Hwani finally asked, her voice cautious. Ezio slowly lowered his hand and looked at her. His gaze startled her, and she quickly offered an excuse.

　　“I mean, I’m sorry if that was a rude question. I was just wondering…”

　　“My life thus far has been dedicated to the god of music. Where would I have found the time to meet women?”

　　Ezio replied curtly.

　　Ah, come to think of it, he was right. Hwani recalled his brilliant career. Since childhood, he had been busy with concert tours and premieres of new compositions. Perhaps there truly had been no room for a passionate romance.

　　However, remembering the vulgar word young Camillo had used, Hwani gauged his mood and cautiously asked again.

　　“Still, don’t men sometimes pay for women?”

　　“Good heavens. Not you too? Are you telling me to do something so wounding to my pride? To pay good money just to buy cheap flattery?”

　　Ezio scoffed in disgust, as if he had just heard complete nonsense.

　　“I encounter cartloads of fawning women just by stepping into the theater. Dealing with them is exhausting enough, so why on earth should I pay money to do such a thing?”

　　His attitude made it clear that the overwhelming support and attention directed at him were merely a tiresome nuisance. Hwani marveled inwardly at the arrogance that suited someone who had lived as a genius his entire life.

　　I’m glad I’m just a quiet fan.

　　If she had pursued Ezio even a little more aggressively and showered him with gifts, she might have been treated as just another nuisance. Perhaps she wouldn’t even have been invited here today to sit on the sofa in his studio.

　　Now that she heard him say it, it was certainly true that none of the pieces Ezio composed had ever been about love. Every single one of them dealt with grand historical dramas or fantastic adventures.

　　She hadn’t realized it until now, but a theme found so commonly everywhere happened to be the genius composer’s sole weakness.

　　Just then, Ezio let out a long sigh. He looked at Hwani as if he had reached a decision.

　　“But…”

　　“Yes?”

　　“Then you appeared.”

　　Me?

　　As Hwani blinked at his out-of-the-blue remark, Ezio strode over to her. He grabbed her shoulders firmly, just like the day before, and words poured out of him.

　　“Your scream yesterday. That was it! The moment I heard it, musical inspiration struck me!”

　　“W-what did you say?”

　　Hwani asked back, utterly bewildered. Before she could process what nonsense he was talking about, Ezio darted over to the piano. He immediately struck the keys and shouted.

　　“Listen! It’s this very melody!”

　　It was the exact melody that had leaked out from beyond the door earlier. A melody pulsing sharply like a beating heart. The moment Hwani’s eyes widened at that peculiar phrasing, Ezio rushed on excitedly.

　　“Do you see? This is where my music begins. ‘A wedding march that makes love spring forth at the mere sound of it.’ I feel like I can find the answer with this!”

　　Ezio turned around to meet Hwani’s eyes. Then he urged her, looking as though he might throw himself into her arms at any moment.

　　“So, scream for me.”

　　Right here, right now.

　　Hearing such an out-of-the-blue demand, Hwani leapt up from the sofa.

　　“A scream? Not singing?”

　　“A scream. Scream just like you did on stage yesterday!”

　　Ezio raised his right hand and thumped the left side of his chest.

　　“When I heard your scream yesterday, I felt my heart constrict in that moment, and that feeling lingered until the end of the performance! No matter how much I think about it, that shock feels like what people call love!”

　　“That is an absurd request! You were simply startled!”

　　Her excitement and nervousness at talking one-on-one with the musician she admired lasted only a moment. Now Hwani was utterly dumbfounded. He had invited her over because he liked her voice, only to tell her to scream instead of sing—what kind of nonsense was this?

　　At the same time, a strange sense of futility washed over her. Right, as if something out of a play would happen—like discovering miraculous potential in a low-ranking chorus singer like me…

　　Hwani slumped back onto the sofa. With things turning out like this, the outfit she had dressed up in only made her feel miserable. She sensed Ezio slowly approaching as she lowered her head.

　　“I beg of you.”

　　He reached the front of the sofa and dropped to one knee, as if trying to meet her at eye level.

　　“I am not asking for anything difficult. You just need to shout. Just think of it as vocal practice.”

　　By this point, resigned to whatever might happen, Hwani lifted her head. She didn’t even have the energy to resist. Thinking she would just shout a few times and get it over with, she opened her mouth.

　　“Aaagh.”

　　“No, not like that. What kind of scream was that?”

　　“Aaagh!”

　　“The tone is quite nice, but that’s not it. Put more power into your stomach!”

　　“Eek!”

　　“No, no!”

　　Ezio sprang up as if he were going mad. Shaking his head frantically, he said,

　　“No. That’s not it at all. Can’t you do it like yesterday? Can’t you make it a bit more urgent, something that startles me?”

　　“Yesterday, a chandelier came crashing down right over my head. Since nothing like that is happening now, how on earth am I supposed to…”

　　Hwani protested softly. Ezio crossed his arms and groaned quietly, with a strange determination, as if he simply couldn’t give up.

　　“Your head, huh? Your head…”

　　He seemed lost in thought for a moment. Then, as if a sudden idea struck him, he snapped his fingers.

　　“That’s it.”

　　He suddenly reached out toward Hwani. Caught by the forearm, she stood up involuntarily. As he drew so close she caught her breath, his gray eyes right before her, a low murmur spilled from his shapely lips.

　　“Pardon me for a moment.”

　　“Pardon? No… Ack!”

　　His arm suddenly dug into her abdomen, and her waist bent forward abruptly. The moment she was pushed into a position with her hips sticking out, a large palm spanked her soundly. As a stinging sensation spread across her buttocks, a startled scream burst from Hwani’s mouth.

　　Huh?

　　What? Just now… what?

　　It was unbelievable. Unable to process reality, Hwani looked up at the man.

　　What just happened? What on earth did this man just do to her…?

　　“Mr. Ezio?”

　　“…This is it.”

　　The man’s eyes were filled with a strange excitement. Meeting a gaze so intense it practically gleamed with obsession, Hwani felt a chill.

　　The next moment, Ezio quickly softened his gaze.

　　“Well, I apologize for striking you suddenly. But I thought this method would be the easiest and fastest way to startle you.”

　　“What?”

　　Hwani quickly straightened up. Her buttocks were still stinging from the force of his hand. Was that really something to say after hitting a woman?

　　Yet the man remained unbothered, as if completely shameless.

　　“Isn’t it better to hit your bottom than to hit your head?”

　　Then his voice took on an excited tone.

　　“That scream just now was splendid. This could very well be the answer. I feel the melody expanding, the one that only had an introduction!”

　　As he said this, Ezio smiled. The smile on a face worthy of any top-tier actor was certainly enough to make many women’s hearts flutter. Even Hwani felt her own heart flutter a little, but she was also utterly baffled. The look in his eyes said that he was willing to do what he had just done as many times as necessary for the sake of music.

　　“So, are you asking me to let you hit me now?”

　　“I will compensate you handsomely.”

　　Ezio added, as if belatedly realizing that he couldn’t expect her to do it for free.

　　“As a singer yourself, surely you understand. This is all for the sake of great music. And it is His Imperial Majesty’s command. This music will ring out at the imperial wedding, and the future of our empire hinges on it.”

　　An anxious expression swept over his face, as if the looming deadline had flashed through his mind. He adopted a persuasive tone once again.

　　“If you have a price in mind, tell me. I will grant whatever is within my power. Won’t you accept?”

　　At that moment, a thought crossed Hwani’s mind.

　　The first thing that came to mind was not a major role with many lines, nor expensive vocal lessons, but a cramped row house.

　　Her mother growing weaker in that dusty place. Her elder sister slaving away at the laundromat while caring for her. Even the warnings that they needed to move or try a new medicine to stop her mother’s coughing.

　　She had so little to begin with that even hesitating for too long in the face of such an offer was a luxury.

　　In the end, she raised her head carefully.

　　“Um…”

　　She closed her eyes tightly before opening them again. Whatever the case, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

　　“I… need a lot of money, so if you could give me that…”

　　Ezio nodded in understanding.

　　“That much is no trouble at all. How much do you need?”

　　At his sudden prompting, Hwani named a vague figure, and Ezio readily agreed as if it were nothing. He headed to his desk, flipped over a sheet of blank music paper, and began writing.

　　“Very well. In that case, let us draft a contract right away.”