TMGYLPD 04

𖹭 Chapter 4 𖹭

‘There’s one more thing I need to prepare.’

It was time to take revenge on Madam Esid, who had been tormenting me—and the other candidates—for so long.

Even if she had already forgotten everything she did—

I hadn’t.

Her harsh words, her cold treatment, and all her dirty tricks.

“Whether you’re the real granddaughter of the Trache family or not doesn’t matter to me.”

“What annoys me is that you showed up now and ruined my daughter’s concours plans.”

“This concours! My Vivi was supposed to take the final slot as a rising talent. And you dare ruin that?”

“Well, what would a beggar from a traveling troupe know?”

Esid didn’t just hurt people with words.

She used every dirty method to drive out the candidates.

She even took part of the financial support meant for us and blocked basic necessities.

The food we got was nothing more than thin soup made from wilted vegetables and a piece of hard bread.

The wardrobe was empty. The few clothes available were old gray dresses and worn-out indoor clothes.

The Duke family provided money for the candidates—

But because Esid took it in the middle, this was all that was left for me.

But now—

The annex was empty.

‘This is the perfect time to put my plan into action.’

It was time to repay everything—my crushed pride and wounded heart.

“Lady Pieria, you can definitely win. I shouldn’t say this, but honestly… Madam Esid and Vivi—no, Lady Vibrephon—their skills are just…”

Clarine, thinking we had gotten closer, started speaking freely.

“Oh dear, the trip to the Imperial Palace is long, you know? It’ll be tiring. I wish I could help you somehow…”

And finally—

She took the bait.

“Madam Esid’s room.”

“…What?”

Clarine’s eyes widened in shock.

“I heard maids know how to open locked doors with hairpins. Show me your skills.”

I was asking her to open Esid’s currently empty room.

“Lady Pieria, that’s forbidden! If we get caught—!”

“Opening an empty room is forbidden… but talking badly about someone who isn’t here isn’t?”

“Th-that’s…”

“Open her room and prove you’re on my side. This is your last chance to earn my trust.”

I looked at her directly as I spoke each word clearly.

Her brown eyes trembled.

Her arms shook slightly as well.

Clarine couldn’t refuse anymore.

Instead, she took out a hairpin from her hair.

Then she knelt in front of Esid’s door and inserted it into the lock.

Her hands moved skillfully—like she could rob a mansion if she wanted.

Soon—

The door opened.

“I’ll keep watch outside.”

Clarine said nervously.

I stepped into Esid’s room.

‘I never thought I’d be searching someone else’s room like this.’

With trembling hands, I started looking for what I needed.

I couldn’t relax for even a second, worried someone might come in.

My heart pounded so hard it felt like my ribs would break.

After a while—

I found it.

I hid it inside my dress and came out.

‘After the concours, I’ll show this evidence to the Duke.’

The plan was going smoothly.

I felt lighter.

“Let’s go.”

I smiled lightly and patted Clarine’s back.

Only then did she relax and smile back as we left.

A few days later—

The Junior Piano Concours hosted by the Trache family began.

A piano concours.

To me, it was something so familiar that it was almost boring.

‘Well… in my past life, all I did was play piano.’

A musical genius.

A self-made businessman father and a pianist mother.

Graduated top of my class from arts middle and high school.

It sounded impressive.

Natural talent, supportive parents—perfect conditions.

But reality—

Was different.

I grew up in an orphanage, then was adopted by my foster mother.

That’s when my real music education began.

At first, it was fun.

Even though I had to practice until dawn, even though I was scolded harshly for small mistakes—

It was okay.

Because I could play the music I loved.

That was enough.

But everything changed in an instant.

After years of infertility, my foster parents finally had a daughter.

From that day—

My father lost all interest in me.

That alone would have been fine.

But my mother—

Started taking out all her stress on me.

‘Sometimes I wished they would just abandon me again.’

But they cared too much about their reputation to do that.

Still—

I didn’t run away.

Because I could still play music.

Because without this home, I wouldn’t even have this level of education.

‘Thinking about it now… that time is how I met the angel… and discovered the novel.’

The “angel” who secretly taught me piano at night—

One day gave me a book.

<The Spring of the Muse>

That book ignited my passion for music.

It was a romance novel based on classical music, set in a world where music could grant power.

The male lead, the Crown Prince, couldn’t control his inner power.

The female lead’s song calmed him.

But in the end—

He still went out of control and destroyed the world.

Not exactly a happy romance.

But what stayed with me was something else.

I wanted to become someone like the heroine.

I wanted to move people deeply through music.

Just like she healed the male lead.

Even though—

After giving me that book, I never saw the angel again.

Still, I kept working endlessly to create and perform better music.

Maybe that effort paid off.

I entered a prestigious arts school.

And ranked first throughout my school years.

But happiness didn’t last.

I became an easy target.

In a school full of rich students—

My background stood out.

“An orphan with top grades in a school where money decides results.”

I heard those words endlessly.

But I endured it.

Words could be ignored.

The real problem came later.

My foster father went bankrupt—

And ran away.

Only then did I learn—

He was a fraud.

It happened right before college entrance exams.

It was a huge scandal—big enough to appear on the news.

Some victims were even my classmates’ parents.

And I—

Took the blame.

I was openly bullied.

People even accused me of cheating my grades.

Still—

I endured.

“If I just get into university… everything will be okay.”

I believed that.

I could leave that terrible home.

Leave that school full of people who hated me.

So I endured.

And finally—

I got accepted into my dream university.

As if all my effort had finally paid off.

And then—

Not long after I received the acceptance—

Someone stopped me.

“Let’s talk for a moment.”

It was a woman.

The mother of a classmate who was on the waiting list for the same university.

She spoke without hesitation—

“Give up your admission.”

I laughed in disbelief.

“Why should I?”

“If you give it up, my daughter can get in.”

…What kind of nonsense was this?

For a moment, I thought I heard wrong.

But no—

She was serious.

Of course she was.

In these schools, reputation among parents was everything.

She had called me here—

Even knowing this could damage her own image.

And then—

She started saying things far worse than I could have imagined.