How I Became Immortal

Chapter 29

       When Yuna returned to her seat, she felt the gazes of everyone on her. There were people that were looking at her in admiration and there were some that had hatred written on their faces. Yuna could tell in an instant that the Empress didn't look too pleased. She looked like she wanted to strangle her when she had the chance. Might as well avoid the Empress throughout the rest of the party.

Yuna felt that there was no way she could remain low-key after annoying the Empress and some of the corrupt nobles. She was sure that most of them would be running back home to try to cover up their tracks. She hoped that none of them would be able to get away with their crimes.

The Emperor then announced the next part of the celebration. Many of the noble ladies were to perform a musical piece or recite a poem for the Princess as a form of entertainment. This was also a way for the women to appeal to their future husbands with their artistic talent. Yuna wasn't interested in this part of the event. She definitely didn't want to showcase her talent to everyone.

Women were considered talented based on their artistic capabilities. Yuna didn't like that a women's worth was only based off of artistic talent. It sucked that women weren't equal to men in this society. She didn't want to attract unwanted attention, so she decided it would be best to just enjoy the rest of the celebration without standing out. She'd let the other ladies showcase their talents. It wasn't like she was trying to find a husband.

There were tons of ladies that were raising their hands in hopes of being the first one to perform. One lady in particular stood out from the rest. Her name was Ahn, Songhwa. Songhwa was born in a household filled with wealthy politicians. Her parents were part of the upper class, but they weren't as powerful as the Prime Ministers in their society.

She was known as the pure beauty that stole the hearts of men with her musical talent. She was exceptional at playing the gayageum (traditional Korean instrument with strings). The Empress favored her greatly for her talent in the arts. She was well rounded in music, poetry, sewing and painting. Most men looked for women like her because she was the ideal candidate for a good wife.

Yuna saw her as her rival in her past life because she had the attention of all the princes. She used to compete with her at these kinds of events. Songhwa would always act like an innocent white flower while she was seen as an eyesore for constantly trying to get Minho's attention. She didn't realize at the time that Songhwa and Haemi were similar.

Haemi was good at acting like a sisterly figure. Yuna never doubted Haemi at the time. She used to believe that Haemi was on her side when interacting with Songhwa. Now that she knew Haemi wasn't an ally, she could tell that Haemi and Songhwa both schemed together to make herself look like she was obsessed with men. Now that she didn't want attention from any of the princes, she probably wouldn't be interacting with Songhwa much.

The Empress instantly noticed Songhwa was one of the ladies that were interested in performing. She pointed out Songhwa in front of the Emperor. She'd been impressed on many occasions by her performances that she stood out from the other ladies. The Empress dotingly smiled at the girl, "If it isn't Songhwa. I've been deeply impressed by your performance at my tea party recently. I would love to hear your performance today."

The Emperor agreed with the Empress. He was also looking forward to seeing Songhwa perform for them again. She was famous throughout the capital for her talent in gayageum. She always had a way of making people feel happy. He had high hopes for Songhwa and chose to let her go first.

Songhwa replied with a soft voice that stirred the heart strings of men, "I'm glad to be able to perform before you today. I may not be as good as you say, but I'll try my best." She smiled innocently at the princess and the princes while saying this. The Empress said, "Don't be so humble. I've heard your songs before, and they are exceptional. Let us hear what you have prepared today."

Ahn, Songhwa sat on the platform with her personal gayageum in front of her. She began strumming the gayageum. When her fingers hit the strings, a beautiful sounding melody filled the courtyard. The song felt like a butterfly flying through the forest. The crowd was immersed in each note filled with happiness.

As the song progressed, the happiness could be felt. The crowd was filled with people that smiled and enjoyed the melody. At the end of the song, the crowd cheered and applauded her performance. Princess Ara thanked Songhwa for the awesome song that she played.

Yuna had to admit that Songhwa was really talented in playing the gayageum. She knew how to make people happy. She was impressed. Yuna wasn't half as good as her when it came to the gayageum. No wonder people used to compare her with Songhwa. Yuna wasn't able to impress the audience with her performances because she never played music for herself. She would always play music to impress others.

This changed when she started learning to play the harp in modern Korea. She never played for anyone and it was only for herself. She learned to play easily because of her picture-perfect memory.

She first became interested in playing the harp when she came across a YouTube video of a girl playing the harp. She found herself always listening to harp music and found it relaxing. It helped her cope with her emotions when she played the harp.

Her depression became overwhelming at some point and playing harp became a way to cope with depression. Time went by quicker when she was playing an instrument. She didn't have to worry about anyone judging her performance, so she would leisurely enjoy her evenings getting lost in her music.

When she was born back into this world, she was able to make a harp for herself with the help of a carpenter in the capital. Harps were made with wood and strings, so it was fairly easy to make. She showed the blueprints to the carpenter and had it made. She didn't want to show everyone her harp, so she made a mini one that didn't stand out too much.

She'd rather play alone in her room than have to impress anyone. She wasn't the same after her heart was broken by the two people she trusted. She also clapped for Songhwa and watched as the Empress picked out the next lady to perform.

Yuna was lost in thought when she heard her name come out of the Empress' lips. Yuna didn't pay attention so she didn't hear anything she said. Yuna asked, "I'm sorry, I was lost in thought about Lady Songhwa's performance. Could you repeat what you said?" Some of the eunuchs that heard Yuna broke out in a cold sweat for her. The Empress didn't like to repeat herself and if she had to, they would be punished.

The Empress frowned at her but changed to a friendlier expression after noticing the gazes of other nobles. She surprisingly repeated herself once more, "I said that since Lady Songhwa is from a prominent family and she can play the gayageum so well, I would like to see what Lady Yuna can do. I've never had the chance to hear you play any instruments. Do you even know how?"

The Empress grinned at her with evil intentions. She wanted to make her seem like an inadequate teacher by ridiculing her artistic ability. It made sense since all women focused on art while men studied politics and all the important stuff. Yuna felt a bit irritated by the Empress. Why did she have to prove herself through music? She didn't want to.