played Beautifully

To assist the ladies with their presentation, Miss Augusta had her servant move the virginal, lute, and viola da gamba into the garden. Three ladies chose embroidery, while the others were divided between singing and playing a musical instrument.

Lily and her sister Janet performed a duet. While Lily sang, her sister played the virginal.

Their performance was very smooth and enjoyable. Many of the teachers praised them for their skills. Agatha, who had been keeping a low profile, finally had a proud smile on her face again. Since everyone was doing something they were best at, each performance was wonderful.

Anastasia sat and watched everyone with a smile.

When Elisabeth saw that she could still smile, she was displeased. She expected Anastasia to be uncomfortable. After all, with each performance so beautiful, it would be more embarrassing when her performance was below average later.

Elizabeth knew that Anastasia's embroidery was bad. And as for singing, she had never heard Anastasia sing. Moreover, the duchess had never arranged a music lesson for Anastasia. So Elisabeth was confident that no matter what Anastasia decided to do later, she would embarrass herself.

"I will play the viola da gamba," Elisabeth said, getting to her feet.

Elisabeth stepped forward with confidence, her posture poised as she lifted the viola da gamba onto her lap. The sunlight filtering through the trees cast a golden glow over the gathering . She adjusted the bow in her hand and drew in a deep breath, allowing a moment of silence to settle over the audience before she began.

As soon as her bow touched the strings, a rich, resonant sound filled the garden. The first notes were slow and deliberate, setting the tone for an elegant and haunting melody. With each stroke of the bow, Elisabeth's fingers danced effortlessly along the frets, her movements precise yet fluid.

The garden, once filled with quiet murmurs, was now utterly silent. Even the birds seemed to pause in their songs as Elisabeth wove her music through the air like a masterful storyteller. The deep, warm tones of the viola da gamba resonated through the gathering, pulling at the hearts of those who listened. The teachers exchanged approving glances, and some of the ladies, caught in the spell of her performance, watched in awe.

When the final note rang out, there was a pause—a breathless moment where the beauty of the music lingered before giving way to reality.

Then, applause erupted. Elisabeth lifted her chin slightly, letting the applause wash over her like a warm tide. She knew she had played beautifully, every note had been deliberate, every phrase carefully shaped. As she set the viola da gamba aside, her hands rested lightly on its polished wood, as if savoring the lingering connection between musician and instrument.

Miss Augusta smiled in approval. "That was truly a masterful performance, Elisabeth," she said. "Your technique and expression were remarkable."

The other ladies murmured their agreement. Some still looked spellbound, as though the music had transported them elsewhere. Even those who had been indifferent to the instrument before now seemed captivated. Elisabeth allowed herself a small, satisfied smile.

But her gaze drifted toward Anastasia, searching for the reaction she most wanted to see—discomfort, uncertainty, perhaps even quiet defeat. Instead, Anastasia remained composed, her expression unreadable. She had not clapped, nor had she looked particularly awed. She simply watched, her hands folded neatly in her lap, as though Elisabeth's performance had been nothing more than another part of the afternoon's entertainment.

Elisabeth's fingers tightened slightly against the edge of the chair. She had expected Anastasia to falter, to show some sign of hesitation. After all, with each performance growing more impressive, it would only make her own attempt more humiliating. Yet there she sat, unshaken.

Miss Augusta turned to the remaining young women who had yet to perform. "Who will go next?" she asked, her gaze sweeping over them.

A brief silence followed. Then, to Elisabeth's surprise, Anastasia rose from her seat. She moved with quiet grace, her gown catching the sunlight as she stepped forward.

"I will," she said simply. Anastasia knew that if she did not volunteer herself to perform now, Elisabeth would still push it to her. Since there was no way to avoid the limelight, she would do her best now and deal with what will come later.

A flicker of amusement crossed Elisabeth's face. Giving how good her performance was, even if Anastasia had some skills, performing right after her would only make her seem average. This is why the others who were yet to perform did not step forward. Only Anastasia was stupid enough to jump in. "With you bad skills, I will like to see what you will do.

Anastasia Walked over to the viola da gamba and rang her finger through the string.

"Are the two sisters going to play the same instrument?" Someone murmured.

"Maybe, perhaps there is a skill teacher in the Duke resident," another said.

"Then, I wonder who would play better?" The first lady said.

"Is there a need to guess, who has not heard that the first daughter of the Duke Thompson is not very skilled." Someone joined the conversation.

"Don't tell me you take such rumors seriously. Seeing Lady Anastasia in person, those rumors seem to be lies," the first lady argued.

"That's true, etiquette has been good since we meet. Besides she seems knowledgeable," the second lady agreed.

"Don't tell me that you think she knowledgeable simply because she could identify the flower earlier. If you ask me, I will say she is just lucky that her mother managed to plant it before," the lady who just joined the conversation said.

"Right, Lady Elisabeth, did say her mother had a garden of rare flowers. It is definitely a struck of luck," Lily joined the conversation.

"Lady Elisabeth, how is your sister's skills?" The first lady asked not wanting to judge by baseless gossip.

Elizabeth who has been listening to the conversation with a smile looked conflicted when she was suddenly dragged into the conversation. Now all the ladies gaze were on her .

"My sister..." She really did not know how to answer this question. When outside, a family must show unity so she could not speak bad of her sister's skills. She also did not want to lie.

After all, the other ladies might blame her for deceiving them later.

"She is changing instruments," Jannet who had been paying attention to Anastasia said. She could already tell that this two sister did not get along. If they did, they should have performed a duet like she did with her sister.

Elizabeth turn her gaze to Anastasia who was now standing in front of the virginal. "Sister, dear sister I wonder what you will do now?" She thought.