The auditorium inside the Winter Palace was far larger than it had appeared from the outside.
Tall pillars supported the high ceiling, where several crystal chandeliers hung like frozen drops of light. The stage stood at the center of the hall, framed by deep red curtains embroidered with the crest of the Dresden Kingdom.
Rows of seats filled the lower floor. Above them, a second level stretched around the hall in a wide arc—private balconies reserved for distinguished guests.
Princess Molly led the delegation of Kizen toward one of those balconies.
"This way," she said politely.
A palace attendant opened the carved wooden door leading into the private section.
Inside, the balcony offered a clear view of the entire stage below. The seating arrangement was far more spacious than the crowded rows beneath, with small tables prepared for refreshments and drinks.
Jane stepped inside first, her expression calm as always. "Thank you for guiding us, Your Highness."
"It is my duty as the host." After a brief formal exchange, Molly excused herself to attend to other guests. The door closed quietly behind her.
Jane took a seat near the railing of the balcony, where the view of the stage was unobstructed. Knox sat beside her, resting his elbow lightly on the armrest while observing the hall below.
Guests continued to enter the auditorium. Servants moved quietly between rows, ensuring everything was prepared for the performances.
The sound of instruments tuning drifted from the stage. A violinist tested a few notes. A pianist pressed several soft keys. The faint melodies blended together, forming an atmosphere of anticipation.
Knox watched the stage thoughtfully. "Quite a production."
Jane answered without looking at him. "It's a royal exhibition."
"Fair enough."
Below them, the hall gradually filled with nobles, artists, and guests from various territories. The low murmur of conversation spread through the room like distant waves.
Then—
The lights dimmed slightly. A palace attendant stepped onto the stage.
"The performances of the Winter Court Arts Exhibition will now begin."
Polite applause followed. The first performers entered the stage soon after.
An orchestral ensemble began the opening piece, their instruments weaving together into a smooth, elegant melody that filled the hall. The music echoed beautifully beneath the high ceiling.
Knox listened quietly. His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest, following the rhythm.
Jane noticed the small movement from the corner of her eye. "You're analyzing it, aren't you."
Knox shrugged slightly. "Hehe, Habit~."
The orchestra continued playing, the melody flowing through the hall with steady grace. From the balcony, the entire stage could be seen clearly.
Each performer moved with precision. Each note carried carefully across the room.
The exhibition had officially begun.
And for now—
Kizen simply watched.
The orchestral piece eventually came to an end. Applause spread across the auditorium as the musicians stood and bowed politely before leaving the stage.
Another performance followed soon after. This time, a soprano singer stepped forward, her voice rising beautifully across the hall. The melody echoed through the auditorium, accompanied by a gentle piano arrangement.
The audience listened attentively. After that came a violin solo. Then a duet performance. Each act displayed refined technique and careful preparation befitting a royal exhibition.
From the balcony, Jane watched quietly. Knox, meanwhile, rested his chin lightly against his hand as he observed the stage.
The performances continued. One after another.
Yet after a while—
Knox slowly leaned back in his seat. "…Hmm."
Jane didn't look at him. "What."
Knox smiled faintly. "Sister Jane."
Jane already had a bad feeling. "...Yes."
Knox tapped the armrest lightly. "I'm starting to feel a little itchy watching all these performances."
Jane sighed softly. "…Of course you are."
Knox tilted his head slightly. "What do you think?"
A playful glint appeared in his eyes. "Should I perform?"
Jane closed her eyes for a brief moment.
It wasn't surprise.
If anything—
She had expected this.
After a short pause, she stood up from her seat. Without saying anything further, she walked toward the door of their private balcony.
Knox watched with a small smile.
Jane opened the door slightly.
A palace servant who had been standing nearby immediately straightened.
"Yes, Lady Jane?"
Jane spoke calmly. "One of our students wishes to perform."
The servant blinked in surprise for a moment.
But upon hearing the name—
"…Knox Aznable."
The servant's eyes widened slightly.
Jane continued in the same composed tone.
"Please inform the organizers."
"Of course!"
The servant bowed quickly and hurried down the corridor.
Jane closed the door again and returned to her seat. Knox looked at her with an amused expression.
"You didn't even ask what I was planning to perform."
Jane sat down calmly. "I've seen you long enough to know it won't be something boring."
Knox chuckled softly. "Well… I'll take that as encouragement."
Down below, the next performance on stage was reaching its finale.
A few minutes later.
Inside the royal viewing chamber.
This room was the most exclusive balcony within the auditorium, reserved only for the royal family.
King Dresden sat comfortably in his chair while watching the ongoing performance below. Beside him sat the Queen. Princess Molly was seated slightly to the side, quietly observing the stage.
Suddenly—
Voices could be heard faintly outside the chamber door.
The king tilted his head slightly. "Hmm?"
He glanced toward the door. "Why is there so much noise outside?"
One of the royal guards standing near the door stepped forward and opened it slightly. After exchanging a few words with someone outside, the guard turned back and bowed.
"Your Majesty, the chief organizer of the exhibition requests an audience."
"He claims it is an urgent matter."
The king waved his hand casually. "Let him in."
The door opened. The organizer quickly entered the room before bowing deeply.
"Your Majesty."
"What is it?"
The king spoke calmly.
The organizer lifted his head slightly. "We have received a request from one of the guests to perform during the exhibition."
"Oh?"
The king looked mildly interested.
"Who?"
The organizer answered immediately.
"Knox Aznable of Kizen, Your Majesty."
For a moment—
Even the air in the room seemed to pause.
"…Knox Aznable?"
The king's eyes widened slightly.
Princess Molly immediately straightened in her seat.
The Queen raised an eyebrow.
The king suddenly laughed.
"Hahaha!"
He leaned forward in clear excitement.
"So the famous prodigy of Kizen wants to perform?"
"Of course!"
"Allow it immediately!"
He waved his hand enthusiastically. "And if he needs anything—anything at all—make sure it is provided."
The organizer bowed quickly. "Yes, Your Majesty!"
Princess Molly's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Meanwhile, the Queen simply leaned back in her chair.
"Hoo…"
Her tone carried a faint trace of amusement. "Looks like someone is quite confident."
The king immediately glanced sideways at her.
Then he chuckled lightly. "Haha, what's wrong with that?"
"This is youth."
"And we're talking about Knox Aznable, after all."
He gestured casually toward the stage below. "There's nothing wrong with him performing."
"If anything, it benefits us."
"We get to witness his talent firsthand…"
"And the name of Dresden will shine even brighter for hosting it."
The Queen didn't reply. But the faint narrowing of her eyes suggested she was already thinking about something else.
Meanwhile—
The organizer had already rushed out of the chamber to prepare the stage.
Because soon—
Knox Aznable would be stepping into the spotlight. The final performance of the scheduled program came to an end.
The singer on stage finished the last note of her aria, her voice lingering softly in the air before fading away.
For a moment, the hall remained silent.
Then applause erupted across the auditorium. The singer bowed gracefully before leaving the stage.
The lights gradually brightened again, signaling the conclusion of the program. Guests began whispering among themselves, some already preparing to stand up.
"It seems the performances are finished."
"Quite an enjoyable exhibition."
"Yes, Dresden always organizes these events beautifully."
Just as the audience assumed the program had ended—
A palace staff member suddenly walked onto the stage.
The murmurs in the hall slowly quieted.
The staff member bowed politely toward the audience before speaking.
"Honored guests."
"Before we conclude today's exhibition, we have received a request for a special additional performance."
A ripple of curiosity spread through the auditorium.
"A special performance?"
"Was that part of the schedule?"
The staff member continued.
"It is our honor to announce that this performance will be delivered by a distinguished guest of the Dresden Kingdom."
The hall grew quieter.
Some guests leaned forward slightly.
Then the announcement came.
"Please welcome—"
The staff member's voice echoed clearly through the hall.
"The singer whose voice has touched the hearts of countless listeners."
The anticipation in the hall rose rapidly.
"And the Special Entry Number One of Kizen's 329th batch—"
The staff member raised his hand slightly toward the stage entrance.
"Knox Aznable!"
For a split second—
The entire hall froze.
Then—
The auditorium erupted into applause.
Gasps and excited murmurs spread everywhere.
"Knox Aznable?!"
"He's performing here?"
"I didn't know he would appear!"
Some guests immediately leaned forward to look toward the stage entrance.
Others clapped enthusiastically.
Even several nobles who had maintained their composure until now showed visible excitement.
From the royal viewing chamber above—
The king smiled broadly as he watched the reaction of the crowd.
Meanwhile—
Behind the stage curtain. Knox calmly adjusted his uniform collar.
The moment had arrived. The velvet curtain slowly parted.
A figure stood quietly at the center of the stage.
The young man wore the uniform of Kizen—a dark navy academy blazer lined with thin golden trims along the edges, giving it a refined and dignified appearance. Beneath it was a crisp white shirt, paired with a neatly tied deep red tie.
The uniform carried an air of discipline and prestige, the kind that instantly told anyone present that its wearer belonged to the most renowned necromancer academy in the Dark Alliance.
His white hair reflected the stage lights faintly.
And his crimson eyes calmly looked over the vast auditorium.
Knox Aznable.
Beside him stood a polished grand piano, its glossy black surface shining under the chandelier light.
For a moment, Knox simply stood there.
Then he gave a quiet bow. The movement was elegant and natural, neither overly formal nor arrogant.
Applause immediately spread through the hall.
After straightening his posture, Knox walked toward the piano.
He sat down on the piano bench and placed his hands lightly over the keys.
For a brief moment, he closed his eyes.
The auditorium gradually fell silent.
Then—
The first note echoed through the auditorium.
The melody flowed gently, like a quiet voice speaking in the middle of an endless silence.
Knox lowered his gaze slightly. Then he began to sing.
[Song: Call of Silence – Hiroyuki Sawano ft. Gemie]
"Don't you think about me enough…?"
The words slipped into the melody like a confession long buried in the heart.
The song spoke of someone who had been carrying emotions for far too long—someone who could no longer keep them hidden.
Knox's voice remained calm, yet there was a quiet intensity behind it, like a flame slowly burning within his chest.
The piano flowed gently beneath his voice, supporting the fragile weight of each word.
In the audience, several listeners unconsciously leaned forward.
There was something honest in it. Something raw.
Not loud, not forceful—
but impossible to ignore.
Knox's fingers pressed deeper into the keys. The melody began to rise.
What started as a quiet confession slowly grew into something stronger, the emotion gathering like a wave beneath the surface.
Then, his voice lifted, steady and unwavering.
"You will know you're reborn tonight, must be ragged… but I'll stay by your side."
The words rang clearer this time, no longer a quiet confession, but a resolve that refused to waver.
The melody swelled, carrying his voice higher.
"Even if my body's bleached to the bones, I don't want to go through that ever again."
There was no hesitation now. Only certainty.
Only the quiet weight of a promise that had already been decided.
The final note lingered in the air, trembling softly—
as if even silence itself was unwilling to move on.
The words now carried the feeling of someone standing beside another no matter what happened, even if everything around them fell apart.
The piano chords struck deeper now, echoing through the hall like a heartbeat growing stronger.
The song spoke of rebirth. Of standing together through pain. Of refusing to abandon someone even when the world itself tried to tear them apart.
The emotion in Knox's voice filled the entire auditorium. Some listeners found their chests tightening without realizing why.
The melody surged forward like a rising tide, carrying the message of the song with unwavering resolve.
Even if everything was lost.
Even if only bones remained.
The voice in the song would still remain by their side.
The music climbed higher—
Then slowly began to settle again. Like the calm that follows a storm.
Knox's voice softened.
Not a sad one—
But a quiet message left behind for someone precious. The words carried warmth. A wish for someone to stand proudly and continue forward.
Knox's voice lowered, almost like someone speaking softly to a loved one standing far away.
The piano followed with gentle notes that lingered in the air. The melody slowly drifted toward its end. Like a guiding light fading into the distance.
Knox sang the final line.
Finally—
His fingers pressed the last key. The final note echoed softly through the hall.
On the stage, Knox slowly lifted his hands from the piano. His expression remained calm.
As if the performance that had just shaken the entire hall—
Was simply another ordinary song.
For several seconds after the music ended, the entire auditorium remained perfectly still.
It was not the ordinary silence that followed the end of a performance. It was a deeper silence—one born from the lingering weight of the song that had just filled the hall. The melody had already disappeared, yet the emotions carried by it seemed to remain suspended in the space between the listeners.
Many of the guests had not even realized that they had stopped breathing.
The song had spoken of a heart that refused to run away, of someone who chose to stand and confess their feelings no matter how painful it might be. It spoke of staying beside someone even when everything was falling apart, of refusing to abandon them even if nothing but bones remained.
And in its final message, it carried a quiet wish—that the one who remained behind would stand proudly, continue forward, and become the guiding light that led everyone home.
Those emotions had flowed through Knox's voice like a story told without hesitation.
And now that story had ended. Yet the feelings it left behind lingered deeply within the hearts of the listeners.
Some nobles stared toward the stage with unfocused eyes, still processing the emotions stirred by the performance. Others lowered their gazes quietly, as if recalling memories that the song had unintentionally awakened within them.
In one corner of the lower seats, a noblewoman slowly raised a hand to her face, wiping away tears she had not realized were forming. A young musician seated nearby remained frozen in place, gripping the edge of his chair as though the music had reached directly into his chest.
The song had not merely been beautiful. It had felt personal. Like a voice calling out from silence itself.
Then, from somewhere within the audience, a pair of hands began to clap.
The sound was small at first, breaking the quiet atmosphere that had settled over the hall.
Another pair of hands joined.
Then another.
Within seconds, the applause spread throughout the entire auditorium, growing louder and louder until the hall was filled with the powerful sound of admiration.
The guests no longer attempted to hide their reactions. Many of them rose from their seats, offering their applause with genuine enthusiasm. The sound rolled through the Winter Palace like distant thunder.
High above the auditorium, within the royal viewing chamber, the King of Dresden had already stood up from his seat.
His face carried an expression of unmistakable delight as he applauded loudly.
"Haha! Excellent!"
The king's laughter echoed warmly as he continued clapping without restraint, his reaction far more genuine than the restrained politeness that usually accompanied royal events. It was clear that he had thoroughly enjoyed what he had just witnessed.
Beside him, Princess Molly had also risen to her feet almost immediately.
Her eyes shone brightly, filled with excitement and admiration that she made no effort to conceal. The calm composure expected of a princess had long since disappeared, replaced instead by the enthusiastic reaction of someone who had just witnessed something truly wonderful.
She clapped energetically, her expression radiant with joy as she looked toward the stage.
"That was incredible!"
Her voice was soft, yet filled with sincere admiration as she continued applauding without hesitation.
Meanwhile, the Queen remained seated for a moment longer.
During the performance she had appeared composed, yet even she had not been entirely untouched by the song. The emotions carried through Knox's voice had reached every corner of the auditorium, and she had not been immune to it.
When the applause erupted throughout the hall, the Queen remained still for a brief moment, as if gathering herself again.
Then she slowly raised her hands and joined the applause.
Her movements were controlled, her expression cool and dignified as always, though the faint stiffness in her posture suggested that acknowledging the performance did not come entirely willingly.
Even so, the applause continued. And there was no denying that the performance had moved the entire hall.
On the stage below, Knox calmly rose from the piano bench.
The applause continued to grow louder as the audience stood before him, the admiration in their eyes unmistakable.
Yet Knox himself simply offered a polite bow toward the audience.
His expression remained composed and tranquil, as though the performance that had just stirred the hearts of everyone present had been nothing more than an ordinary song.