Rhode Island Park Project

So, you only have two days, and I need the concert to start on time tomorrow night."

The man narrowed his eyes, and a dangerous glint flashed in his bloodshot eyes.

"...Then it seems I have no time to rest."

Gertrude felt a little depressed as she spoke.

Sure enough, her enemies were never fools.

The other side knew from the beginning that the Queen's Voice would follow Visheim, but these fanatical lunatics were fully prepared to start a war.

...Even if it means sacrificing our lives, we must regain their faith.

The show was gradually growing out of her control. The heroine might still be Gertrude Strollo, but the stage had become much larger and grander than before.

If the original protagonist wants to bring the ending to its original form, she probably needs the help of a man.

"The male protagonist?... Haha, he really has that guy's style."

She murmured to herself in a low voice.

That man seemed like someone who could become the protagonist of a big event wherever he went.

"I hope that what you are saying to yourself means that you have already figured out how to start taking action."

The guy in front of her once again looked down at her indifferently and made cold remarks.

Although they are both men, the gap between these two guys is really big.

At least even if that person was an aggressive predator, she had to admit that he had a unique charm, but this madman in front of her—

Ah.

"I think Your Excellency must be busy with other matters, so I will not continue to entertain you."

Gertrude stood up decisively from the sofa.

She suddenly felt a little tired of communicating with this disgusting lunatic.

I hope the next time we meet will be on stage.

"..."

The opponent did not try to stop her, and Gertrude almost exhausted all her strength to take standard and powerful steps on the carpet, without showing any embarrassment or vulnerability in the final sight of both sides.

"Shh, what a man who makes people suffer."

Walking in the deserted corridor, she gritted her teeth because of the pain that surged up from the wound, but the corners of her lips couldn't help but curl up.

Being able to see the ugly appearance of that madman, and having a performance even grander than the one she had painstakingly prepared waiting for her...she seemed to really like the gift prepared by Luo Hang.

……

After having breakfast prepared by the butler in the dining room, Gertrude left the Earl's Mansion without stopping as she had said.

Sunset area.

The most famous concert hall in Visheim is located there, and it is also the Low Court district where the infected gather.

The Earl, who had just gotten off the car, walked into a well-decorated house with a somewhat strange gait.

"How did our Lord of Visheim find the time to personally visit my humble abode?"

As soon as he met the owner of the house in the room filled with a wide variety of musical instruments, the Earl was greeted with a not-so-friendly greeting.

"Is this how you, Czerny, welcome your boss who has sponsored you for many years? It's really disheartening."

Gertrude said this casually and found a nearby chair to sit down. After all, she would never stand if she could sit down.

Wilhelm Fichte Czerny, renowned throughout Leithania, was the most celebrated musician in Visheim.

Even though it was born in an area where infected people gathered, many dignitaries and nobles came every year to invite Czerny to perform.

It can be said that Czerny is the signature figure of the Vischenheim art world.

only,

"I suspect it's not a good thing for the Earl to come here in person. If possible, I don't want to hear what you have to say."

As a man, Czerny, with his shoulder-length red hair, does have a distinct artistic temperament. However, at this moment, he frowned openly, as if he was ready to drive out the lord in front of him at any time.

"That's a shame, I'm afraid. You have to do this this time."

"I've heard this a few dozen times, if not a hundred."

Czerny was a little agitated. "I've already told you in advance that this will be my final farewell concert. All my energy needs to be used to prepare for this concert, rather than continuing to entertain people again and again! You've also agreed with me—cough, cough cough cough!"

Czerny, speaking in an excited tone, suddenly covered his mouth and coughed violently. His tall figure hunched over the piano, his body shaking violently with the coughing sound as if he was going to vomit out his lungs.

Gertrude, sitting in the chair, just watched the scene calmly and even indifferently.

Only after Czerny's cough gradually subsided and he wiped away the blood with his handkerchief did she speak again calmly:

"You understand, Czerny. As long as you're in Wiesheim, you're indispensable."

"you--!"

Czerny, who had just calmed down, was once again filled with anger.

"You've sponsored me for so many years, and I've listened to your arrangements so many times. Aren't the benefits I've brought you enough?! Can't you just let me go even now?!

I've already announced my plans for the final concert to everyone, and now there's a second and final concert. Where do you want me to go?! Or are there still third and fourth concerts waiting for me after this?!

"This is the last time, I can assure you of that."

Gertrude's unusually calm eyes made Czerny inexplicably uneasy.

After all, even Gertrude could not predict what would become of Sunset District and even the entire Visheim after this performance.

She knew that this was a hateful deception and harm.

Even she sincerely appreciated Czerny's music, otherwise she would not have sponsored Czerny for so many years and helped an impoverished artist from an infected area to become famous.

Some people suspected that she had a special affection for Czerny, but she knew that this was her way of expressing her desire for the clear music that she once loved but could no longer touch.

But all this, like her blackened music, can be put behind the revenge that has infused her entire life.

"..."

Even if it means,

She wanted to personally destroy the final curtain call in the life of Czerny, an outstanding artist whom she once admired and had placed her hopes on.

Chapter 87: The Villain

Maybe he realized something from Gertrude's eyes, or maybe it was a man's seventh sense.

Despite Gertrude's assurance, Czerny still looked uneasy and resistant.

After failing to vent his anger, he hesitated for a few times before finally choosing to beg humbly.

"Please, Lord Earl. I've performed for you so many times in front of those nobles. Can't you even give me a chance to be free? I don't have much time left, and I just want to leave something valuable behind."

Czerny's plea was stiff and stagnant. For any man with any dignity, it would not be easy to bow down and beg others, and artists always have their own pride.

But Sunset Hall is the property of the lord. He has been run by Gertrude for so many years, and all the power he holds is under the contract with Gertrude.

Without Gertrude's permission, he didn't even have the right to decide on holding a concert in the Sunset Hall, let alone the other hall.

just,

Faced with the frail musician who was dying of oripathy, and faced with the acquaintance's dignified plea, Gertrude remained calm.

"You need to understand one thing, Czerny."

She spoke slowly,

"We all have no choice."

What was Czerny’s last dignity and freedom in life?

Of course he is pitiful.

But she gave these to Czerny, so who would give her dignity and freedom?

Perhaps she was no different from the Witch King's minions whom he hated the most. Gertrude was the "Witch King's minions" in Czerny's life.

But sadly, that’s Gertrude.

From the very beginning, she was an evil person who could kill her own family. After devoting her whole life to revenge, she was no longer able to be noble.

"..."

Finally, an expression of disbelief gradually appeared on Czerny's face, as if he was not looking at a noble woman, but a monster that was difficult to distinguish from a human being.

"The concert is scheduled for 8 o'clock tomorrow evening. You can choose the repertoire yourself. After this time, I will no longer have any say in your life."

Gertrude, speaking these words to herself, stood up from her chair, turned around and walked out the door.

As a result, at the door, she happened to meet the Czerny family's housekeeper, a broad-bodied, gray-haired old lady, who was holding tea in her hand.

"Oh, is the Earl leaving now?"

The old man looked at the Earl who walked in a strange way, and the surprise on his face became a little more intense.

Czerny, who was still single, couldn't see it, but as an old woman, she knew clearly what the Count's behavior meant.

"Hey, how about I help you——"

"No, I can still walk this distance."

The old man standing at the door holding a tray looked at Czerny who was sitting alone in the room in a depressed atmosphere, and then looked at the swaying back of the countess who was walking alone towards the corridor.

These two people had many interactions, and the old man who was the housekeeper had also made some jokes.

But now...

These two people seem to have indeed taken two completely different paths.

……

After leaving the Czerny family, the Count got into the car and planned to continue to his next task.

The Sunset Hall used for the concert needs further renovation and adjustment to meet the needs of the remnants of the Witch King and herself. Luo Hang also needs to continue to contact and send out concert invitations. In order to welcome the many "guests" who have come to this city, her subordinates also need to make adjustments and arrangements.

She wasn't kidding when she said she was busy at work today.

However, sitting in the car that had not yet started, the Earl saw that many people outside the car window seemed to be rushing in the same direction, which made her curious.

"What big thing happened in Sunset District today?"

"Uh,"

The Earl's female assistant, sitting in the front passenger seat, clearly knew something. "Those people are probably rushing to the port to buy things... Rhodes Island has applied to open a temporary shopping street at the port, selling a large amount of low-priced fresh food and medicine, as well as low-cost medical services."

The Earl was speechless for a moment.

Because Luo Hang's personal performance was too eye-catching and the date was too passionate, she almost forgot about the ship and city that Luo Hang brought.

As expected, men make mistakes.

The lord thought to himself.

But on the other hand, she was actually a little curious about the situation in Rhodes Island.

One thing we must confirm is that Rhodes Island is docking in Visheheim for supplies. This usually means they're restocking their supplies and energy resources in Visheheim, then selling their own industrial and processed goods. Why would they be selling food while restocking? And what about cheap, fresh food?

If she had not had a close relationship with Luo Hang and knew the man a little, she would probably have suspected that he was plotting something.

After hesitating for a moment, the Earl, who was sitting in the back seat of the limousine, took the opportunity when the driver started the car to speak:

"Take me there to have a look."

To see the man who had taken her virginity and walked away so easily, and his ships and cities.

Also, maybe I can take a look at the woman next to that man.

At this time, there were probably more than one pair of eyes looking at her, but she also needed to hand over the invitation to the concert tomorrow night to Luo Hang, and going there in person would appear more sincere.

The assistant and the driver responded and turned the car around. The Earl sat quietly in the back seat, gazing out the window at the streets moving in the sunlight, feeling a sense of anticipation for no apparent reason.