Chapter 63 - Versus

'Why?' Julia wondered. 'Seriously, why?'

She didn't usually take on work like this. Life was too short, and she considered her own talent too limited to waste time on it. Yet there were two reasons she had come.

'Why would the department chair ask me to do this?' One reason was that her former teacher had asked. It was hard to refuse someone who seldom asked for favors, though others often asked them of her.

'And why offer such an enormous sum for a mere month's lessons?' The other reason was the fee she had been quoted. Even Julia, who had always lived comfortably, had doubted her ears. It was enough to hire an entire orchestra, let alone a first-rate violinist. Curiosity about that absurd sum was what had made her accept.

"You seem to have a lot of questions, Julia."

"Is it that obvious?"

"I'm rather good at noticing things."

From the black hair held in place with a jade hairpin and the silk dress to the air of maturity at odds with her youthful face, Li Qingyu seemed to embody every Eastern mystery. The beautiful young woman smiled and added, "Though the people who came before you had questions too."

"So I'm not the first."

"You guessed?"

"There's usually only one reason to offer this much money for a job like this."

Julia said it without hesitation, then asked out of curiosity, "What number am I?"

"Third."

"That's unexpected."

"Fewer than you thought, or more?"

"Fewer. The offer was so generous, I thought I might be the hundredth person you'd called in."

Julia was only half joking. Otherwise, she couldn't make sense of the fee.

As though she understood, Li Qingyu smiled. "Was the offer a bit much?"

"More than a bit. I wondered if you were going to ask me to do something illegal."

'And I'm just as curious about who this girl is.' Many East Asians looked young for their age, but Li Qingyu couldn't be more than a teenager, as far as Julia could tell. Yet this girl had invited her here and rented out an entire luxury café at the Leviathan Hotel to entertain her. How could Julia not wonder who she was?

As if she had read Julia's suspicions, Li Qingyu smiled again. "I'm not going to ask you to do anything dangerous or illegal. The fee is so high simply because you're the only person who can do this."

"There are plenty of first-rate violinists besides me."

"But very few of the very best."

Julia didn't bother denying it. She might not be the world's greatest performer, but her name was always mentioned in discussions of the greatest violinists. That was an objective fact. And there was a reason for her reputation beyond her skill.

"Fewer still who have no skills related to music or performance—and aren't even players."

Since the dawn of the Iron Age, most people once called "first-rate" had fallen from prominence. Composers, singers, directors, financial experts, professors, doctors, prosecutors—countless professionals had lost their places to players, who could surpass first-rate talent simply by using skills.

Yet some had held their ground in this age through their own abilities alone. Julia Franke was one of those exceptions: the Witch of the Violin, whose performances equaled those of elite players without relying on skills.

"That's a surprising reason."

"Is it?"

"People usually don't prefer a non-player as a teacher. Learning from a player is faster and more precise."

"Yes, usually."

Li Qingyu readily agreed. A player could use a skill to discern a student's aptitude and potential where an ordinary performer might struggle even after months of teaching. With skills such as 『Teaching』 or 『Growth Acceleration』, they could multiply the student's progress. Naturally, most aspiring performers would want a player as their teacher.

"But the person who invited you this time is a little... No, quite unusual."

"Huh? Weren't you the one who invited me?"

"If you mean the one who sent the invitation and will pay your fee, yes. But I'm not the one who wants lessons from you."

"I see...?"

Li Qingyu's matter-of-fact answer only deepened Julia's curiosity. Julia had met her share of society's elite, and Li Qingyu struck her as someone who gave orders, never someone who took them. She had naturally assumed the girl herself would be her student. Finding out she was merely acting on someone else's behalf was surprising in more ways than one.

'Maybe she wants lessons for a younger sibling or a friend?' Having settled on a possible explanation, Julia decided not to pry into the details. She would focus on the student instead.

"Unusual in what way? Talent? Personality?"

"Both."

"I see. Sounds like a difficult student."

Julia gave a wry smile.

Whether a student had talent but a bad attitude or a good attitude but little talent, teaching them was bound to be a headache. If both were problems, she could understand why the previous two teachers had given up. Li Qingyu gave her a curious look.

"Well, the lessons will probably be difficult for reasons rather different from what you're imagining."

"What do you mean?"

"It's hard to explain. You wouldn't understand—or believe me—until you experienced it yourself."

"...?"

Seeing Julia's confusion, Li Qingyu said calmly, "So let me ask you in advance: if possible, please don't listen to him play. At least not for a while."

For a moment, Julia thought it was a joke. Teaching someone without hearing them play was more absurd than asking a deaf person to teach music. But the smile had vanished from Li Qingyu's face, and the look in her eyes told Julia she was serious.

"... Why?"

"Because you'll want to run away."

Julia looked at her with a little suspicion, considerable doubt, and no small amount of curiosity. Li Qingyu gave a faint, rueful smile. "At least, that's what the two people who came before you wanted to do."

In the end, Julia agreed. Li Qingyu was plainly serious, and Julia wanted to meet whoever this girl kept insisting was so unusual. Even so, signing a confidentiality agreement left her uneasy. Only after that was done did Li Qingyu finally lead her to her student.

"Is this where my student is?"

"Yes. He's waiting inside the practice room."

"Just to check, what are the limits on using it?"

"There aren't any."

"... You mean there's no time limit?"

"No. I mean you have unlimited use of all the instruments and equipment in this room, as well as every facility in the Leviathan Hotel."

An executive suite had already been prepared for her, too.

Julia stared blankly at Li Qingyu's smile, blinked several times, and asked, "Are you trying to bankrupt me?"

"Don't worry. All expenses during your stay as a teacher will be covered as part of the lesson fees."

"Who on earth am I teaching that you're going this far?"

Julia genuinely wanted to know.

Li Qingyu didn't answer. She merely glanced toward the door with a smile. "You'll see for yourself."

With that suggestive remark, she said she would only be in the way and promptly left. Julia stared uneasily after her for a moment, then let out a small sigh, steeled herself, and opened the practice-room door.

"Hallo, schön dich zu treffen. (Hey, nice to meet you.)"

And there he was: a black-haired young man sitting with his legs crossed, a blue baby bird perched on his head. He raised one hand casually to greet her. Julia would remember him as the most unusual student of her life.

* * *

"Student Lee."

"Lee."

"Hm?"

"Being called a student at my age feels awkward. Just call me Lee."

"... All right, Lee."

He set the terms of address so casually, as if granting her a special privilege, that Julia gave him an odd look. She had taught plenty of students for someone her age, but never one who acted this arrogant the moment introductions were over.

'Maybe he's some corporate tycoon's grandson who was badly raised?' That would explain both his imperious attitude and the money it must take to treat the Leviathan Hotel like his own home. But something about that explanation bothered her. 'For all that, there's a strange dignity to him...'

His manner and speech looked arrogant enough. Yet Julia, who had met many members of the upper class, sensed a peculiar refinement in this young man who observed none of their formalities. He didn't seem to be showing off. Rather, he acted as though he knew, as a matter of fact, that he had every right to behave this way. And that oddly old-fashioned, polished German pronunciation...

'That's it. Like an aristocrat.'

While studying in the British Empire, she had met members of the old aristocracy. He reminded her especially of retired military men from noble families proud of their martial achievements: elderly lords who had served her tea and biscuits with casual indifference, so as not to burden her with ceremony. Of course, he was far younger, but perhaps growing up under a grandfather like that had given him the same manner.

'He might be the young master of some noble house.'

Julia ended her speculation there. Anyone who made her sign a confidentiality agreement must have their reasons, and she had no wish to dig into them. More importantly, there was something she needed to know about this young man Lee before she learned who he really was.

"I wasn't told anything about you beforehand. Could you start by telling me about your background?"

"My background?"

"Yes. Which competitions you've entered, what prizes you've won—that sort of thing."

In truth, Julia didn't place much stock in credentials. No matter how famous a music school someone had attended or what awards they had won, credentials were just credentials. She believed only a performance could truly prove a musician's worth. But in light of Li Qingyu's request, she would settle for hearing his background for now.

"I don't have any of that."

"... What do you mean?"

"I've never entered a competition or anything like that."

"What?"

Julia couldn't help being taken aback.

Unlike Li Qingyu, whose age was hard to guess, Lee was plainly a man in his twenties. Anyone his age who had studied violin since childhood would normally have entered at least a few competitions. But he'd never even entered one, much less won a prize?

"Just to be sure, Lee, where did you learn violin... No, who taught you?"

"I'm afraid the ones who came before you ran away before they taught me anything. If I had to say, you'll be the first person to teach me about the violin."

If you don't run away too, he added with a mischievous smile. Julia felt the corners of her mouth twitch.

But she didn't explode. She merely asked one last question, clinging to a final hope.

"Then when did you first play the violin?"

"About a month ago."

At his confident reply, Julia let out a hollow laugh. Then she couldn't help saying two words.

"Verdammt Scheiße (Fuck.)"