THAT PIANO MELODY.
THE SONG...
...WAS MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH MUSIC.
MUSIC NEVER HELPED ME SURVIVE...
...BUT I COULDN’T THROW IT AWAY.
WHY DID I RUN?
I COULD'VE SAID I WAS JUST PASSING BY.
THAT IT WAS A NICE PERFORMANCE.
THE BEAUTIFUL NOTES THAT RANG FROM THE MUSIC BOX...
AND THE GLOWING GIRL WHO PLAYED THAT MELODY...
THIS CHANCE ENCOUNTER...
...BECAME THE TURNING POINT IN MY LIFE.
Episode 23
SHE WAS THE ONLY CHILD OF MARQUESS ROZENBERG.
SHE WAS AN ASPIRING PIANIST.
IT WAS FITTING.
THERE WAS NO WAY SUCH A NOBLE BEING WOULD BE ANYTHING LIKE ME.
A CHILD OF INCOMPARABLE STATUS...
...DEFINED AT BIRTH.
THE ONLY DAUGHTER OF MARQUESS ROZENBERG, FROM A ROYAL BLOODLINE...
...AND ME, JUST ONE OF MANY PAWNS AT THE ISLAND.
AHH!
OWW...
UGH...
THIS WAS MY PLACE.
HEY. GET OVER YOURSELF AND TAKE THIS.
IT'S NOT LIKE YOU TO MAKE MISTAKES.
ARE YOU FINALLY LOSING IT?
...I THINK THE WOUND HAS OPENED AGAIN.
WHAT?! LET ME SEE.
GOODNESS, YEAH. IT'S BLEEDING, ALRIGHT.
UGH.
AREN'T YOU GOING TO THE INFIRMARY?
OR DO YOU WANT TO GET INFECTED AND DIE?
OH, SHUT UP.
OH, BUT I HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN STARTED.
WHAT?
YOU CAN MAKE A FLUTE OUT OF THIS REED.
...A FLUTE?
FROM THAT REED?
YEAH! WANNA TRY?
MAYBE...
OKAY, SO HOLD IT LIKE THIS...
...TAKE OUT THIS PART...
...SLIT IT SLIGHTLY HERE...
...PRESS DOWN THIS END...
TADA!
NOW YOU CAN BLOW IT.
WOW, YOU'RE TERRIBLE. HERE, WATCH ME.
WHAT'D YA THINK?
CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE? OR AM I JUST TOO COOL?
HOW DO YOU ACTUALLY PLAY WITH IT?
HMM. MY DAD COULD DO IT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN...
I GUESS I COULD PRACTICE, BUT THAT'S...
YOU CALL THIS A FLUTE...
HEY, ANYTHING THAT CREATES SOUND IS AN INSTRUMENT!
I THOUGHT I MIGHT BE ABLE TO PLAY THAT TUNE.
BUT THERE'S NO WAY SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD BE AN INSTRUMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
I WISH I COULD LISTEN TO HER PLAY THE PIANO INSTEAD.
I WANT TO HEAR IT ONE MORE TIME.
I WANT TO GO BACK TO THAT MOMENT.
JUST ONCE MORE...
HEINER WALDEMAR, 1ST PLACE IN MARKSMANSHIP TRAINING.
HEINER WALDEMAR, EXCELLENCE IN LOYALTY TRAINING.
HE'S BEEN WORKING HARD LATELY.
WELL, HE ALWAYS STOOD OUT...
BUT THIS IS BEYOND WHAT I EXPECTED...
I COULD EASILY FIND A WAY TO HEAR HER PLAY AGAIN.
VALEDICTORIAN.
HEINER WALDEMAR.
BUT TO MAKE IT HAPPEN...
...I HAD TO GIVE IT MY ALL.
I HAD NO DREAM.
I HAD NO DESIRE TO SUCCEED.
I'D NEVER WANTED ANYTHING.
BUT NOW...
I KNEW DESPERATION.
BECAUSE WHEN SHE PLAYED THE PIANO...
...IT FELT AS IF WE WERE THE ONLY TWO PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD.
IN A WORLD FAR AWAY FROM THIS HARSH REALITY...
...WHERE WE COULD BE HAPPY...
...TOGETHER.
In this chapter, the narrator recalls his first encounter with music: a piano melody rising from a music box and the sparkling girl playing it. He learns that she is Marquis Rozenberg's only daughter, who dreams of becoming a pianist. While seeing himself as one of the pawns on the island, he clings to music through his wound and the scene where he makes a flute from a reed. To hear her play once more, he resolves to work relentlessly and become the top student in the school.
