Chapter 23

Henny's POV

Henny was about to enter the theater when Claudia's voice echoed loudly across the room.

"I challenge you, Henny, to compete with me!" Claudia declared.

"I'm the best performer in this theater! No one else comes close!" Henny sighed in exasperation and facepalmed. She had no intention of competing with Claudia.

"I'm not interested. Please go back to your room, Lady Claudia—" Henny said firmly, but her words were cut off when Claudia angrily threw all of her belongings to the floor.

"Do you want to lose your job? If you don't accept my challenge, I'll make sure you'll never find work in this town again!" Claudia threatened, refusing to back down. Fear crept into Henny's heart—she couldn't afford to lose her job. It was her only source of income and her last hope.

"Fine. I'll do it. Just don't take my job away," Henny finally relented.

"Good," Claudia smirked triumphantly. "We'll start later today. Prepare yourself because we'll be performing in front of everyone in the main hall."

Henny nodded silently, glancing at her hands. Could she really do this?

"Henny, stop cleaning for now and focus on preparing," Claudia's manager said as he approached her.

"Did you tell Claudia to challenge me?" Henny asked coldly, her tone sharp and accusing.

"I'm sorry… I just wanted to see you perform again—to hear you sing and play," the manager admitted apologetically.

"Whether I win or lose, I've already made my decision: I won't join this theater permanently. I'm not the type of person who would steal someone else's career so easily," Henny said firmly.

"I understand, Henny. If that's what you want," the manager replied with a nod.

"Thank you."

"Oh, before you go on stage, you'll need a proper outfit. I've already prepared one for you." He showed her the dress—it was simple yet elegant, and she immediately liked it.

"Thank you, Manager."

As they heard the sound of people entering the theater, Henny's nerves began to take over. It had been so long since she last played the piano in front of an audience.

She crossed paths with Claudia backstage and couldn't help but notice how stunning she looked in her dress. Claudia approached her with a smug expression.

"I don't like other people using my piano," Claudia sneered. "So use the old one instead. Do you understand?"

Henny nodded silently.

"I'll make sure I win this," Claudia added before bumping into Henny's shoulder hard enough to almost knock her off balance. Thankfully, Henny managed to steady herself by grabbing onto something nearby.

The crowd erupted into cheers as Claudia stepped onto the stage and sat at the piano. Her performance was flawless—her playing was beautiful, and her singing captivated everyone in the audience. Henny felt even more nervous as she watched.

"Relax, Henny," Claudia's manager whispered reassuringly.

"Yes…" she replied softly, trying to steady herself as she waited for her turn.

When Claudia finished her performance, thunderous applause filled the theater. Now it was Henny's turn. She took a deep breath and walked toward the old piano under the watchful eyes of the audience.

Sitting down at the bench, she closed her eyes for a moment and exhaled deeply. She wanted them all to hear music that spoke from her heart—a piece that carried emotions from another world she had once known.

As whispers filled the room, silence fell when she began to play and sing:

*(Play: "All I Want" by Olivia Rodrigo)*

By the time she finished singing and playing, there was a moment of stunned silence before thunderous applause erupted from the audience. Some women in the crowd were even wiping away tears. Seeing their emotional reactions brought a smile to Henny's face—she had succeeded in conveying raw emotion through her music.

As she stepped off stage, she noticed tears streaming down Claudia's face as well.

"That was truly a masterpiece, Henny," said the manager with admiration in his voice.

"Thank you, Manager. But I have to go now."

As she exited the theater, she was met by a crowd of people waiting for her outside.

"Your voice is incredible!"

"Can you sing again?"

The voices overlapped as they clamored around her—it was overwhelming. Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the crowd. Startled, she turned to see Duke Felix standing beside her.

"What are you doing? Let go of that girl!" shouted one man from behind them.

---

Duke Felix's POV

I arrived at the theater just in time to see Henny on stage. From afar, I stood frozen in place as I watched her perform.

As soon as she began playing and singing, my heart skipped a beat—it pounded harder with every note she sang. Watching her like this brought me an unexplainable sense of peace and lightness that I hadn't felt in so long.

I remembered when I first met her—how fragile she seemed back then—and how confused I had been about my feelings for her at that time. Back then, I thought my heart still belonged to Penelope… even though deep down I knew she was deceiving me. I had planned to endure our toxic relationship just so we could stay together… but everything changed when I met Henny.

At first, I didn't understand why I wanted to see her all the time. But when Penelope died before my eyes—despite everything—I felt no guilt or remorse because of what she had done to me.

When I heard that Henny planned to leave, desperation consumed me—I couldn't let her go. But when she rejected me outright… anger took over instead of love. I did everything in my power to keep her close—even if it meant making her hate me. It was my twisted way of showing how much I loved her… by being selfish and cruel in her eyes.

But now… seeing her like this… everything feels different. If one day she finds someone else who can make her happy… maybe I should let go—though part of me selfishly hopes that day never comes because I can't bear seeing her happy with anyone but me.

The audience roared with applause as Henny finished performing and left the stage—but chaos erupted when they all rushed outside trying to catch a glimpse of her.

"No! They might hurt Henny at this rate!" Without hesitation, I ran backstage and found her standing there alone amidst the commotion. Grabbing hold of her arm gently but firmly, I pulled her away from danger without saying a word.

"Henny… get on my back so you won't get tired," I told her urgently as we escaped through quieter streets toward our apartment building. Without hesitation or complaint, she climbed onto my back until we reached safety inside our home.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly once we were inside.

"Yes," I replied with a smile before noticing something new inside—the piano had arrived while we were gone.

"The piano is here," she said excitedly before sitting down and playing a few notes with a smile on her face—a smile that warmed my heart more than anything else ever could.

"Do you want me to teach you?" Her question caught me off guard as she gestured for me to sit beside her at the piano bench.

Reluctantly, I sat down next to her while she guided my hands over the keys patiently—her touch gentle yet firm as she explained each note carefully…