The deer - drawn carriage arrived at a corridor entrance. The maid instructed Glen to park the carriage there, informing him that someone would come to lead it away for proper stabling shortly. Glen complied without hesitation.
Subsequently, the two entered the corridor and soon came across a flight of ascending stairs, which they then started to climb.
Occasionally, servants in a hurry would pass by, either going up or down, and Glen would cast a discerning glance at each of them. It was his habit to glean information through such observations.
A faint melody of the piano reached their ears, the playing rather unpolished.
A piano? So, there are pianos at this time? Ah, indeed, there was information regarding the piano in the memories of the original owner... Hmm, yet I''m unsure who the player is, and the technique seems rather inexperienced...
Glen''s queries were soon answered.
As he followed the maid, they turned into a spacious hall, where a group of familiar faces were gathered around a piano, its design slightly different from what Glen remembered from his previous life. They were engaged in animated conversation.
Pernas was at the piano, her demeanor exuding an air of a musician as she played.
Bonnie was the first to notice Glen''s entrance. She exclaimed in delight, "Mr. Glen! You''ve arrived!"
Her words immediately drew the attention of the others, and in an instant, numerous pairs of eyes were turned in his direction.
"Hello, dear children!" Glen greeted them in a tone characteristic of an adult addressing the young.
Bonnie, who was the first to rush towards him, changed her initial impulse to hug into a light pat, exclaiming crossly, "How many years senior are you to us!? And we''re hardly children!"
Bonnie wasn''t originally meant to be present. However, after hearing Lila''s account of the fair - haired lady''s thrilling experience from last time, she was filled with empathy, which led her to consent to attend this ball.
"Mr. Glen still has a penchant for jesting," Lila remarked with a smile as she stepped forward.
"I didn''t expect you to come..." The fair - haired lady maintained her haughty demeanor.
Glen remained silent in response to Pernas'' words. After greeting the young boy, he crouched down, propping his knees, and looked at the two blue - skinned children, asking softly,
"Are you Smurfs?"
The two timid children were taken aback, having no idea what Smurfs were. The others were equally clueless.
Lila inquired, "Mr. Glen, what exactly are Smurfs?"
Glen simply replied, "Just a jest. It''s a fictional race from a story my mother told me during my childhood."
"Terke and Nasyia are of the Ice - Snow tribe, not Smurfs. How could you not even recognize the people of the Frost Kingdom?" the fair - haired lady chided, furrowing her brows.
"Of course I know. I''ve already said it was just a joke," Glen responded, straightening up and spreading his hands.
The moment he laid eyes on these two blue - skinned children, he had identified their race. Even if the original owner lacked general knowledge, the Ice - Snow tribe was something he was familiar with. He had simply been reminded of the Smurfs and thus made a quip.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
"What story is it!?" Lila''s eyes sparkled with curiosity, much like a shark detecting the scent of blood.
Glen couldn''t help but laugh and said, "I''ll write it down for you when I return."
As everyone was conversing with Glen, the blue - skinned child named Terke tugged at Pernas'' garment and asked,
"Who is this gentleman? It seems you all hold him in high regard."
The fair - haired lady was on the verge of refuting but ultimately held her tongue. When she recalled how he had saved her, such words became even more difficult to utter.
"He''s a talented commoner. He''s merely more interesting and knowledgeable," she replied, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush.
After all, she had never praised someone in such a manner before, even though she had tempered the compliment with some modifiers.
"Then... then, what''s the story of the Smurfs? I''d love to hear it..." the blue - skinned little girl, who appeared to be only seven or eight years old, stammered in a sweet, childish voice.
"This..." Pernas was in a quandary. After all, Glen had just stated that he would write it later. She couldn''t very well order him to tell it now. Given his character, he''d likely ignore her.
However, she quickly came up with an idea and said, "He has other stories. You can read those first."
"All right!" The two blue - skinned children readily agreed.
In the Frost Kingdom, it was a custom for parents to regale their children with tales of their ancestors, which had fostered the children''s love for listening to stories. Even the royal family adhered to this tradition.
Pernas promptly summoned a maid, gave her a few instructions, and the maid then departed.
"She''s gone to fetch the storybook. She''ll be back soon," Pernas turned to the two children and said gently.
"Pernas, what was that piece you played just now? It was quite charming. Play it for me again," Glen suddenly called out to the fair - haired lady.
"Indeed, we didn''t get to hear the end of it," the slightly plump youth, Bock, chimed in.
"Very well, I shall play it again..." The fair - haired lady, not one to be outdone, immediately walked over to the piano, sat down gracefully, and placed her slender fingers on the keys.
The same melody resounded once more. Although her technique was unrefined, Glen closed his eyes and began to listen appreciatively.
When the piece concluded, Glen was the first to start clapping, and soon, enthusiastic applause filled the air.
Pernas, a bit bashful, feigned nonchalance, stood up, lifted her skirt, and curtsied.
"I have some acquaintance with this instrument as well. Allow me to play a piece," Glen said, rubbing his hands as he approached.
These words immediately caused everyone to widen their eyes in unison.
"You can play too?" The fair - haired lady''s eyes were filled with disbelief.
It was well - known that the piano was a rarity even among the aristocracy. A commoner might never have had the opportunity to hear it, let alone play it.
"I''ve had the good fortune to learn a bit. Trust me," Glen declared, thumping his chest.
Indeed, he had. In his previous life, during his junior high school days, he had learned the basics of piano - playing from a music teacher and had played some simple pieces.
If it were his body from before his transmigration, attempting to play the piano would be as clumsy as a primary - school student practicing calligraphy. However, now, his control over his body was astonishingly precise.
As long as he remembered the sheet music and could precisely control the movement of his fingers, the playing would at least be pleasant to the ears.
The fair - haired lady assumed Glen merely wanted to have a go and didn''t stop him. She vacated her seat.
Glen sat down casually, pondering which piece to choose.
Ultimately, he decided to play "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" to test the waters.
At first, seeing Glen lost in thought, everyone assumed he didn''t know how to play and was at a loss.
However, as Glen placed his fingers on the keys, a simple yet enchanting piano melody filled the spacious hall.
Among this group, even Pernas had little knowledge of music and didn''t know how to critique the piece. All they knew was that it sounded delightful.
The two blue - skinned children were immediately entranced by this innocent and charming piece, finding it even more appealing than what Pernas had played earlier.
In fact, the piece the fair - haired lady had played was also quite good, but the one Glen played was more to the children''s liking.
The piece was short and soon came to an end.
Glen had already found his rhythm. With just a few more rehearsals, he could play better than most pianists who had practiced for several years.
Such was the prowess of an extraordinary being.
The others remained immersed in the lingering charm of the piano piece and only gradually regained their senses after a short while.