Adela returned to her seat somewhat reluctantly.
After hearing Adela’s declaration and seeing the girl enthusiastically head to the wine cellar, exclaiming, “I’ll get the wine for the pre-celebration!”
Today was Emilia’s birthday, so why a “pre-celebration” was necessary was beyond her. A servant quickly cleaned Adela’s tear-streaked face. Swallowing her awkwardness, she mumbled, “I apologize for my outburst.”
Emilia and the servants only shook their heads gently, saying, “It’s alright.” There was no contempt on their faces, something Adela had always perceived, but only understanding and warm encouragement.
Their attitudes hadn’t suddenly changed. Adela realized it was she who had changed in that moment, feeling accepted.
“Dear, that girl is quite something, isn’t she?” she said.
“Hmm?” Her husband responded with his usual gentle expression and kind nod, his hand naturally enclosing the fist Adela had clenched on her lap.
Encouraged by his warmth, Adela began to speak hesitantly.
“It was the first time anyone has ever acknowledged me so wholeheartedly and held me so tightly. She told me, ‘You are the protagonist,’ and smiled at me. It made me feel like I was forgiven,” she confessed.
“Yes.”
“But surely, that’s what she herself needed most,” Adela said, her hand stopping as she caressed Dietrich’s.
She realized her husband also knew about the girl’s tragic past. He nodded, looking pained but understanding. They understood each other completely.
“I used to wonder why she never got angry or cried despite being treated so cruelly. But now I think it’s because she didn’t know any other way. If she resisted, she would face even worse violence, so she had no choice but to accept everything,” Adela said.
She remembered how the girl had clung to her, murmuring repeatedly about how she should have been more honest. Seeing Adela’s emotional outburst might have made the girl realize that it was okay to cry so openly.
“That girl must have had so many suppressed feelings. That’s why she mirrored Claudia in me, revealing her emotions. She’s always been chasing the memory of her deceased mother. And I’ve treated her so terribly…”
Adela bowed her head, overcome with guilt. “Anyone can lament, Adela,” a stern voice interrupted. It was Lady Emilia. Adela quickly wiped her tears and bowed deeply to her mother-in-law.
“Mother, I am truly sorry for everything that happened.”
“I think it’s wonderful that you’ve changed your attitude, Adela, but you shouldn’t apologize to me,” Emilia said firmly. Adela’s body stiffened at the stern tone, but she neither became angry nor excessively hurt. Her mother-in-law was right.
She was being trained to be a fitting future marquise.
Desperately, Adela tried to articulate her thoughts. “Mother, I think you’re right. I want to make amends to that girl.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. But I think she wouldn’t accept anything directly from me. Her self-denial runs deep. Even if I offered her treasures, she would likely refuse them with a bitter smile.”
“What she needs more is acceptance and to be embraced. But you’ve already done that, so I want to extend it to others—her companions,” Adela explained.
“What do you mean?” Emilia asked, intrigued. Blushing, Adela continued.
“When I listened to my husband’s work, I thought that while it’s called brainwashing, music can comfort people’s hearts. So, if I went to the slums where she grew up and taught songs and music, I believe it could bring smiles to the children’s faces, even if they were having a hard time.”
This meant she wanted to join her husband in his work. Both Dietrich and Emilia looked at her in surprise. Feeling their intense gazes, Adela clenched her fists and continued.
“I’ll do anything. I’ll teach singing in the slums or even sing myself. I just want to help someone, like she helped me.”
“Adela…” Dietrich called her name softly and then broke into a smile.
“Then I must do the same. She pushed me forward too,” he said gently. Adela nodded in agreement. Emilia watched them and nodded with satisfaction.
“Yes. Knowing her, she might say, ‘I knew you’d think that, Adela,’ and already have a concrete plan,” Klaus murmured, stroking his beard.
Adela couldn’t help but laugh, thinking that even though the girl could see the truth, that was too much.
However, a few minutes later, when Adela broached the subject, the girl said as if it were the most natural thing, “Oh? Don’t you want to do something? Adela, you’re going to be the songstress of the slum opera company, right?”
This left everyone astounded.
***
“Adela and Diete” is a renowned opera that depicts the real-life Marquise Adela von Harkenberg and her husband Dietrich.
The story of Adela, who laments her incompetence and leads an idle life, awakening to true love through the intervention of a spirit, capturing her husband’s love and growth, has captivated many hearts.
The theme song, “Look at Me,” sung during the opera, brings tears to the audience’s eyes. Performed at the Harkenberg Opera House in the slums, it quickly became well-known. Until then, operas mainly depicted the elegant lives of nobles, but this work portrayed their struggles realistically.
Some scholars suggest that this opera bridged the emotional gap between citizens and nobility.
In reality, Adela and her husband worked passionately on music education in the slums, and thanks to their efforts, the people of Richard were favorably disposed toward the high-ranking nobility, suggesting that the scholars were not entirely wrong.
Some scholars believe that the original creator of this opera was Adela’s niece, Leonora von Harkenberg, depicted as a spirit. Leonora was talented in poetry, and her letters to Adela contained many poems that became the basis for the lyrics.
Among these, a poem titled “Hymn,” seemingly praising a spirit of light, is considered a model of high-class poetry, adding credibility to this theory.
Skeptical scholars argued that a girl from the slums might have written the poem for the allure of gold, but this notion was largely ignored. Today, the theory that Leonora was the creator of the modern opera is widely accepted.