How I Became Immortal

Chapter 30

Yuna was about to tell her no when she noticed the anticipating gazes of everyone else, including her mom and dad. Her mom pleaded with her eyes for her to show everyone her talent.

Yuna wasn't aware that her mother knew that she could play the harp. Her parents caught her playing harp, but never chose to interrupt her playing because they knew how introverted Yuna was. They didn't want her to feel pressured to play in front of them. So, they would quietly listen to her play behind closed doors.

Her mother handed her a bag quietly. She looked down at the bag that her mother was holding. She showed Yuna the harp that was inside. She couldn't believe that her mother brought the harp with her at this event. It almost seemed that her mother prepared it in advance because she wanted me to impress the Emperor and Empress. She really didn't want to play for anybody.

She held the bag in her arms and replied to the Empress, "I don't feel comfortable playing in front of everyone. Is it possible if I could just watch everyone else play? I think Songhwa is really good at playing the gayageum and there's countless girls here that want to play for Princess Ara too."

The crowd noticed that Yuna didn't seem to want to perform. They felt a storm coming when they saw the Empress' expression. She glared at Yuna and sneered, "Of course you won't play for everyone. Are you afraid that you're worse than Lady Songhwa? It's Princess Ara's birthday today and you have the audacity to refuse royalty. I'm extremely disappointed in you."

The Empress looked extremely upset and the Emperor had the role of a caring husband, so he obviously consoled the Empress. The Empress was being a pretentious drama queen to try everything to stop Yuna from getting in the way of her plans. Yuna didn't want to perform, but she wasn't going to stand around and let the Empress mess with her.

Yuna interrupted her drama by stepping on the stage. Yuna spoke, "I'll perform for everybody, just this once. If you're impressed with my performance, please don't force me into performing again. I find that music is special to me and I don't wish for it to be a competition." The Empress felt irritated with Yuna's words to the point that she felt she was going to faint.

The Empress fixed her hair and dress after making a scene. She changed her expression to one that was more friendly. Yuna didn't like watching her change faces so frequently to match the mood. It was very robotic, and it seemed like the Empress wasn't human. She gestured for Yuna to play her song.

The audience watched Yuna as she dug through her bag. Yuna pulled out the harp and showed it to everyone. The wood was made of remarkably high quality. The white frame formed a triangle with gold at the edges of each corner. The strings were made with gold. Most people could see how much work went into the instrument that Yuna had.

The harp itself was a work of art that became a masterpiece. They perceived it as an instrument from the gods. They were shocked by how beautiful the instrument was.

Prince Jimin and Minho both had their eyes glued on Yuna the entire time since the questioning. They could not recognize the instrument that Yuna had. Why was she so mysterious? They had no clue where she came up with these ideas and cool inventions. Was she some alien from another planet?

Yuna got into position and began strumming the harp. Beautiful sounds came out from the harp. The sounds were much higher in pitch and it seemed uplifting at first but there was deep sadness that rang through each note. The sounds coming from the tiny instrument were so beautiful that they could feel their hearts stirring with emotion.

As they heard the melody, they could sense the loneliness and heartbreak. Words couldn't express this feeling, but the music depicted this feeling very well. People could picture a girl struggling through life all alone. It broke their hearts listening to such a melody. Tears began to form in everyone's eyes.

Jimin also had tears in his eyes when he heard the song. It was shocking that anyone could make him cry. The song left a deep impression in his heart. Most of the ladies in the palace were focused on playing cheerful music and he hardly heard any sad music. His heart ached as he watched Yuna become immersed in her own music.

She looked like an angel when she played the harp. He felt his heart ache when he saw how lonely she looked. He wanted to comfort her and protect her. She seemed like a strong woman in front of them earlier, but now he was watching her vulnerability through her music. He felt the need to protect her like a prince charming on a white horse.

Minho was sitting right next to him and began glaring at Jimin that was staring at Yuna. Minho didn't think she was anything special, but he still couldn't have Jimin taking Yuna away from him. He wasn't given the chance to make Yuna fall for him yet. He couldn't have Jimin steal her away. He elbowed Jimin in the stomach and continued watching Yuna.

He was mesmerized by her performance. Jimin didn't even care that Minho had elbowed him. He was too focused on Yuna to care. When she finished the song, there was complete silence in the courtyard for a good minute. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts. The sad emotion had made some cry, and some were lost in their own memories.

After a bit, everyone began clapping thunderously. Yuna looked up at everyone in shock. She was so lost in her music; she didn't pay attention to anyone around her for a long time. After she came back to her senses, the first people she looked at were her parents. Her mother was clapping loudly next to her father that did the same.

Yuna bowed to everyone and told Princess Ara, "Happy Birthday." She walked back to her seat as they clapped. Everyone grew silent when the Emperor spoke, "That was one of the best performances I've ever heard. I was awfully curious as to what type of instrument that was. I've never heard anything like it."

Yuna explained, "This instrument is called a harp. It's just a string instrument that sounds a bit higher in pitch compared to the Gayageum. I hope to not be forced into playing for everyone. I normally like to play my harp alone. If you are interested in listening to people perform, please find Miss Songhwa or other ladies. I don't feel comfortable playing for everyone. Please understand."

The Emperor frowned at Yuna's statement and replied, "I wanted to get you to play another song for everyone at the next event. I enjoyed your performance just now. Miss Songhwa was good, but I would also like to hear you play next time. Why do you like to play your instrument alone?"

Yuna answered, "I don't play this harp for anyone else, but for myself. Music is a way for me to express emotions. I don't believe that music should be made for the purpose to impress others. I treat music like a diary that shouldn't be shown to everyone. Please respect my personal space."

The Emperor didn't want to bother her anymore after noticing the overprotective General Junho behind her. He glared at the Emperor so ferociously, he could feel a tiger's aura coming from Junho's body.

He didn't want to irritate the General any longer, so he gave up. He apologized to Yuna, "I'm sorry you had to show everyone your diary. I won't let anyone force you into performing again."

The Emperor could only swallow his pride when General Junho was around. Junho was extraordinarily strong and formidable. He didn't want to offend one of the strongest generals in their nation. If anyone messed with Yuna, there was no telling what General Junho would do. It was too much of a headache to deal with.

The Empress shook with anger as she watched Yuna get praised for her ability. She watched as Yuna kept slipping out of every problem like a worm. She could only see red at the moment. She wanted to get rid of her instantly, but she was able to escape every little trap she set up. She decided it would be best to get rid of her in secret.

The Empress put on a fake smile and praised her, "Your performance was so outstanding. It's sad that you won't play for us anymore, but that's okay. Lady Songhwa is also exceptionally good at playing the gayageum. I guess I'll have to rely on her in the future to entertain everyone." Yuna replied, "That's fine with me."

The Empress frowned at her casual response. No one has ever spoken to her so casually. She needed to be treated like royalty and only this little girl had the audacity. Her hands itched crazily. She wanted to hit Yuna in the face when she had the chance. She didn't like to show people her ugly side, especially when her husband was around.