Chapter 48: Preparing Both Hands

  Viktor's reputation and status in the music world, as well as among the nobles, directly affected Lotte, Phyllis, and others' future achievements and lives. As a result, they couldn't maintain the elegant composure emphasized by the nobles, their faces filled with worry, concern, and bitterness.

  Felicity paced back and forth outside the music room, occasionally glancing worriedly at the closed wooden door. After hearing Lotte's words, she became somewhat emotional, her voice slightly shrill as she said: "How can you advise him? Should we tell Mr. Viktor to calm down and that inspiration will definitely strike? That a new melody will surely be written? If ordinary advice were effective, why would Mr. Viktor be like this?"

  Lotte frowned and looked at the wooden door of the music room: "Perhaps we should advise Mr. Viktor, why must he use a new composition? Mr. Viktor had many excellent symphonies before, and we can choose one from them again."

  For this crucial concert, Viktor has already written two new pieces and carefully selected one from his previous works that represents his past highest standard and can rival the new ones. Since current symphonies are strictly structured in four chapters, the length of a piece is usually tens of minutes, so only four symphonies need to be prepared for a concert, leaving Viktor with one more to go.

  "No, I've advised the old master before, but he said that the two new pieces are the crystallization of his musical soul and inspiration, and only one of the previous symphonies is on the same level as them. Selecting another piece would only lower the overall tone and standard of the concert, becoming an unavoidable flaw that people would magnify and criticize. Therefore, he completely disagrees." Butler Ais appeared at some point near the stairs, his aged face looking extremely helpless.

  Hirodott rubbed his temples: "It's Mr. Victor who is too demanding, in fact his previous symphonies were very good and were admired by many nobles and musicians, otherwise why would they invite him to hold a concert at the Sacred Song Hall? Let's persuade him again?"

  He looked at Lott and Phyllis, seeking their opinions, while Lucien was implicitly ignored, a poor boy who had only been learning music for less than two months and could only play very simple tunes, having no right to speak on this matter.

  Lucien did not know how to advise, for it was evident that Monsieur de Villefort had put his whole soul and heart into this concert, and that no one could counsel him.

  "Mr. Ace, what do you think?" Phyllis was well aware that among all the people present, the one who knew Mr. Victor best was undoubtedly his butler, Ace, who had accompanied him for nearly thirty years and watched him grow from a ten-year-old boy into a musician. So she looked at Ace with a sincere and worried gaze.

  Alec shook his head, filled with sadness and regret: "The old master won't listen to your advice. This concert is very important to him, on the one hand it involves his status in the music world and his future development, on the other hand it's also the wish of his late wife. Before she passed away, she was always regretful that she couldn't see the old master hold a concert at St. Halle, so he wants a perfect, flawless concert. Alas, I hope the old master will think of his wife's expectations and calm down slowly."

  "But we can't just do nothing, either." Compared to Phyllis and the possibility of becoming a noblewoman, Lotte had already made musical development her only direction for the future, and it was inevitable that she would be as anxious as Viktor.

  Lucien was always grateful to Viktor, and nodded slightly: "Perhaps we can find some medicine or food that helps with sleep and stabilizes emotions?"

  As a magical apprentice, Lucien's top priority in thinking about related issues is medicine, aside from magic.

  "No, the old master specifically instructed that he cannot be given such medication because it would suppress his inspiration and thinking." Aisu solemnly and heavily rejected Lucien's proposal.

  Lucien said with a hint of concern: "Can we only expect Mr. Victor to conquer himself? Can't we do anything?"

  "What can you do? Are you going to replace Mr. Viktor and write symphonies?" Herodot, who had always disliked Lucien, was now extremely irritated and couldn't help but sneer with anger.

  His sarcastic remarks left everyone silent, because indeed they didn't know what to do. Lucien, on the other hand, was inspired with some ideas: on one hand, he had to let Mr. Viktor find inspiration and compose music by himself; on the other hand, he also needed to make preparations, so as not to be useless at a critical moment. But how to do it specifically still required careful consideration.

  After a while, the door of the piano room creaked softly and Viktor walked out with sunken eyes, saying in a deeply tired tone: "I'm going to practice the first three pieces at the association. You guys follow along too, learn how an orchestra cooperates under the conductor's baton, then go practice your own instruments in the association's piano room."

  After a brief collapse, Viktor quickly recovered, and Lotte and Phyllis, among others, secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that it was not necessarily necessary for them to do anything themselves; after all, Mr. Viktor was an excellent musician who had performed in courts of various countries and had seen the world, so he knew how to adjust himself. However, the shadow of doubt about whether the fourth symphony could be successfully composed still lingered in everyone's heart.

  …………

  In the concert hall on the fifth floor, under Viktor's command and with Rein as the chief conductor, the orchestra performed a complete and beautiful symphony. The four movements were solemn, grand, and structurally rigorous, with some flavor of religious music, providing an extremely wonderful auditory experience.

  When the symphony ended, Viktor walked to the front of Lucien and others who were concentrating on listening and observing below the stage: "Okay, you go to the piano room to practice, I'll come over to guide you later."

  He had just finished speaking, and Lucien and the others hadn't even turned around when a burst of applause suddenly erupted in the quiet concert hall. Although the hall's structure was special, with an excellent echo effect, this round of applause was too sparse, still sounding scattered and thin.

  "What a wonderful symphony, I didn't expect to be able to appreciate such beautiful music just after returning for a while. It seems that Viktor's concert is already ready? Hehe, it will definitely be very successful." The words of praise couldn't hide the mocking smile.

  Lucien listened to the familiar voice, turned his head and saw that it was indeed Wolf who had returned from his outing. His boot-like chin was raised high, with an air of pride and satisfaction.

  Victor's face sank, looking at Wolf's expression, apparently having heard something: "Wolf, it seems that you have gained a lot from this outing?" He didn't want to mention the music preparation that annoyed him, so he didn't answer directly.

  Korv Wolf wouldn't let him off, and after learning about Viktor's recent state from others, Korv could guess without thinking that there must be a big problem with Viktor's music preparation. So he came straight to the point: "Viktor, didn't you ask me last time to listen to your music and give some opinions? I thought about it, we're all musicians of Alto, no grudges can't be eliminated, so I decided to meet your request, well, let's play the four songs in their entirety."

  "Ah!" Viktor had already fully understood that Wolf was here to mock him, but just as he was about to get angry, two more people walked into the hall. One was an elderly man with a head full of silver-white hair, dressed in a black suit and carrying a black cane, looking stern and solemn. The other was a stunningly handsome young man with golden hair, who was none other than Lucien's acquaintance, Mackenzie, Lott's cousin.

  "Osler's affairs." Viktor and Wolf both composed themselves and bowed to the old man.

  Lucien followed suit, thinking to himself: "So he's the director of the Musician's Association, Maestro McKenzie's teacher, and Baron Osorio."

  In the long-established aristocratic laws, not only those who inherited the bloodline could inherit the title, but among those with equal inheritance rights, those with knightly strength naturally surpassed others. Osero was one of them, who didn't have a strong bloodline but inherited the title as an only child. However, he had a good musical talent and excelled in serious works. With the praise of several noble companions, he quickly became a musician.

  "Victor, I heard that your fourth symphony has not been written yet?" Osero walked up to Victor and asked seriously.

  Victor nodded dejectedly: "Yes, Othello."

  Osearyo waved his cane: "Viktor, this is a concert in the Psalms Hall, performed before His Highness and Her Highness, absolutely no mistakes can be made, do you understand?"

  "Yes, I understand, Osorio. I've been trying." Victor replied in a low mood.

  Othello shook his head: "I'd rather the music at the concert wasn't so shocking, but to ensure the smooth holding of the concert. Victor, you used to have so many excellent pieces, no need to be so obsessed with composing new ones. Last week, I want to see a list of four pieces on my desk, you know, can't let the orchestra not have time to practice, what's your opinion?"

  Viktor shook his head with difficulty: "No, Osello."

  He understood that the association was to ensure the normal music festival, and he put pressure on himself. He had to make a decision before the last week, whether it was writing new songs or selecting old songs. Otherwise, someone else would hold the concert now.

  "It's all right if you understand, Victor." Othello's face softened and he turned around, slowly walking out of the hall.

  McKenzie took the opportunity to walk a few steps ahead of Osiero and said kindly to Lott, "My dear cousin, it seems that your path in music is not so smooth either. Well, at the musician's assessment in a few months, I will be one of the examiners, and I look forward to your violin performance. Of course, I am an upright and impartial person, and I won't lower my expectations just because you're my cousin."

  Ignoring Lott's angry eyes and clenched teeth, the excellent musician Makkanz looked at Lucien: "By the way, you too. It's a great blessing for a poor man to become a musician. How can you waste this luck by always entangling with girls instead of practicing hard? As one of the examiners of the music assessment in the next three years, I solemnly remind you once."

  Lucien was at a loss for words, but soon came to his senses. Eileen wanted to save money to study music, so during this time, whenever she had free time, she would ask him about some musical knowledge.

  He finished speaking with a smile and turned around to catch up with Othello. In the Griffith family, Lott had always been trying to curry favor with the first heir in line.

  "Ah, so Viktor, you haven't written the fourth movement yet." Wolf's face showed a look of surprise at first, but he quickly suppressed his joy and a delighted smile spread across his face:

  "Enjoy it well, Viktor, this is your first and perhaps last performance in the Great Hall of the Philharmonia."

  "Heh heh, and you, a so-called genius student from a poor family, can't even pass the music teacher certification exam after several years."

  In the midst of the laughter, Wolf also walked out into the hallway.

  Lucien noticed that Viktor's hands were clenched tightly, with even the pale blue veins standing out.