Chapter 52: The Maiden in the Palace
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Chapter 52: The Maiden in the Palace
"Who is he?"
"That's Ajef, the head of the Keville Empire's delegation. I greeted him at the city gates—I remember him clearly."
"Ah? The one who refused to sing?"
"That's him!"
"How dare he defy the Goddess's rules!"
"Defy? More like he simply can't sing!"
The approaching maids whispered among themselves as they watched Yu Sheng'an, his demeanor wild and his words seemingly deranged. When they learned his true identity, their eyes widened in disbelief, and their gazes turned furious!
To enter the city without singing, to flout the rules set by the Goddess—that was bad enough! But now, to cause a scene right before the palace? What insolence!
Bailier, the head maid, her loyalty to her mistress burning fiercely, gritted her teeth and strode forward, determined to put an end to this man's audacity.
Yet, just then, a hoarse, low voice suddenly emerged from this detestable man.
The moment the first line reached her ears, Bailier froze, her steps halting instinctively.
"Beneath the warm sun, I greet the fragrance—
Whose maiden stands there?
I stand upon this palace high,
You strum the zither, playing sorrow."
The gentle melody, the raspy voice carrying the mature texture unique to an older man, left Bailier—accustomed to grand, majestic compositions—stunned.
The maidservants exchanged startled glances!
As Aphnora's personal attendants, their musical discernment was naturally refined. Yet even so, they found themselves captivated by this simple folk tune.
What astonished them even more was that the song's opening lines unmistakably depicted the very scene unfolding before them!
Could it be… improvised on the spot?
At this moment, not only the maids but even Aphnora inside the palace lifted her face in surprise, her gaze piercing through the palace walls to settle upon Yu Sheng'an.
Her dismissal of him earlier had less to do with details determining success and more to do with the future he painted being far too tempting.
She feared she might lose hold of her "detached from worldly strife" policy, tempted to join him in vying for the world with song!
Centuries of divine life had shown her endless deceit and treachery.
She knew all too well that the most beautiful fruits often concealed the deadliest poisons.
She needed time—to observe, test, weigh, and deliberate.
But she never expected that, upon leaving the palace, Yu Sheng'an would take her excuse at face value and actually… sing.
"Graceful and poised, you sit so dignified,
Upon the palace high, you listen as I sing.
I say, maiden in the palace, your fragrance—
I hold you close to heart,
Carved deep within my soul."
Hearing this, Aphnora's eyes widened, her fair cheeks flushing. He—he was singing a love song?
Outside the palace, the maids stared at Yu Sheng'an, mouths agape, faces filled with disbelief.
This man… this man was singing a love song to the Goddess?
This was unprecedented!
In Vias, such a thing was simply unthinkable. Forget daring to harbor sacrilegious thoughts—even genuine admiration would only manifest in hymns like "Praise the Goddess."
Though the maids wanted to be furious, their maiden hearts made it impossible to scold him!
This was the raw, untamed romance of a rugged man!
"Maiden in the palace, your sorrow—
I hold you close within my heart,
I won't let you wander alone."
Oh, now he was really getting into it?
"What do you mean 'not letting you wander'? Since when has the goddess ever wandered?"
The maidservants were inwardly exasperated, yet the gentle melody was so moving that they couldn’t bear to interrupt.
Inside the hall, Aphnora’s gaze grew distant.
In the eyes of her people, she had always remained in Vias. But who knew that she had been wandering all along, tirelessly searching for undiscovered planes?
Music was so beautiful, and though she avoided worldly conflicts, she knew calamity could strike from the heavens at any moment!
[By the palace under the warm sun]
[Stands a maiden fair]
[With long, snow-white hair]
[And eyes so bright and rare]
"Wow, it matches! It matches!"
The goddess really does have white hair!
At this moment, the maidservants’ hearts raced with excitement, as if this love song were being sung just for them.
Their earlier anger had long since vanished into the clouds. Born and raised in music, devoted to music, they were all the more susceptible to its emotional sway!
But in the end, they were all young women—who among them didn’t harbor dreams of love?
[Maiden, you set my heart aflutter]
[Like a deer in wild stutter]
"Wow!"
So bold! So passionate! So heartfelt!
The maidservants grew even more excited!
Aphnora’s face flushed even redder. This scoundrel! Utterly shameless!
To… to actually sing a love song in her Divine Palace? And with such brazen lyrics? Simply… simply…
Aphnora raised her arm several times, tempted to cast a spell and silence Yu Sheng’an’s singing.
Yet, as if weighed down by an invisible mountain, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Even when Yu Sheng’an later repeated the melody without new lyrics, she still hesitated to interrupt, faintly hoping for more.
At last, the song came to an end!
The maidservants were left spellbound, their gazes toward Yu Sheng’an completely transformed.
It was the look of lovestruck maidens admiring a devoted suitor!
In their minds, they even conjured up a melodramatic tale:
The envoy of the Keville Empire, upon meeting the Music Goddess, was instantly struck by her divine beauty. Captivated by her charm, despite having no musical talent, he was so moved that he spontaneously composed this song—one utterly unlike anything from Vias.
They had a hunch that this exquisitely melodic folk tune might very well sweep through this Divine Kingdom on Earth.
Little did they know, Yu Sheng’an himself was inwardly astonished.
He hadn’t expected to perform so well.
Truth be told, the reason he hadn’t sung earlier was twofold: first, out of shyness, and second, because he was tone-deaf.
Only in his earlier fit of anger had his inhibitions melted away.
As for being tone-deaf?
He had no choice but to pick a simple melody—hence this modified version of "The Maiden by the Bridge."
Come to think of it, the only reason he remembered this song was because its melody closely resembled the children’s tune "Good Baby."
If even toddlers could sing it effortlessly, how much easier for him?
Still, his unexpectedly stellar performance was largely thanks to his status as the Master of Language and Script—altering his voice was second nature to him.
"Aphnora, I really didn’t mean it! Look, you’ve vented your anger, and I’ve sung my song. Forgive me!" Yu Sheng’an called out.
Huh? Forgive you?
The maidservants exchanged glances, their gossipy hearts ablaze. What in the world did you do to incur the wrath of our gentle, merciful goddess?
Could it be… a confession?
"Have you had enough? If so, please leave." A voice neither warm nor cold echoed from the grand hall.
No way?
Yu Sheng'an wore a look of frustration. He had spent considerable time carefully crafting his pitch to persuade the Music Goddess.
The offer he presented was, in his opinion, exceptionally generous.
After all, he was providing a platform with twenty million users—something Aphnora could effortlessly gain. Honestly, if he were in her position, he wouldn’t have been able to refuse.
Could it be that Aphnora had already amassed countless Believers in other planes?
That shouldn’t be the case.
According to historical records, the Azarea Continent was one of the few large planes in this multiverse, with very few others comparable in scale.
And those planes were already claimed by other deities—Aphnora couldn’t possibly have gained any advantage there.
Even if she had, she shouldn’t have rejected such a generous gift.
No god would ever complain about having too many Believers.
Was there another reason?
Yu Sheng'an sighed and turned away helplessly, deciding to return and thoroughly investigate before making his next move.
At that moment, the palace maids watched as Yu Sheng'an left, shaking his head and sighing, and a wave of pity and sympathy welled up in their hearts.
A mortal in love with a goddess—such a tale was destined to be tragic. How pitiful that his sincere affections could only be expressed through music!
How sorrowful and lamentable!
Unbeknownst to Yu Sheng'an as he stepped out of the palace, his subtle actions had been wildly misinterpreted by the court attendants.
Even less did he know that everything that had transpired here would soon spread throughout the divine kingdom of Vias.
"Who is he?"
"That's Ajef, the head of the Keville Empire's delegation. I greeted him at the city gates—I remember him clearly."
"Ah? The one who refused to sing?"
"That's him!"
"How dare he defy the Goddess's rules!"
"Defy? More like he simply can't sing!"
The approaching maids whispered among themselves as they watched Yu Sheng'an, his demeanor wild and his words seemingly deranged. When they learned his true identity, their eyes widened in disbelief, and their gazes turned furious!
To enter the city without singing, to flout the rules set by the Goddess—that was bad enough! But now, to cause a scene right before the palace? What insolence!
Bailier, the head maid, her loyalty to her mistress burning fiercely, gritted her teeth and strode forward, determined to put an end to this man's audacity.
Yet, just then, a hoarse, low voice suddenly emerged from this detestable man.
The moment the first line reached her ears, Bailier froze, her steps halting instinctively.
"Beneath the warm sun, I greet the fragrance—
Whose maiden stands there?
I stand upon this palace high,
You strum the zither, playing sorrow."
The gentle melody, the raspy voice carrying the mature texture unique to an older man, left Bailier—accustomed to grand, majestic compositions—stunned.
The maidservants exchanged startled glances!
As Aphnora's personal attendants, their musical discernment was naturally refined. Yet even so, they found themselves captivated by this simple folk tune.
What astonished them even more was that the song's opening lines unmistakably depicted the very scene unfolding before them!
Could it be… improvised on the spot?
At this moment, not only the maids but even Aphnora inside the palace lifted her face in surprise, her gaze piercing through the palace walls to settle upon Yu Sheng'an.
Her dismissal of him earlier had less to do with details determining success and more to do with the future he painted being far too tempting.
She feared she might lose hold of her "detached from worldly strife" policy, tempted to join him in vying for the world with song!
Centuries of divine life had shown her endless deceit and treachery.
She knew all too well that the most beautiful fruits often concealed the deadliest poisons.
She needed time—to observe, test, weigh, and deliberate.
But she never expected that, upon leaving the palace, Yu Sheng'an would take her excuse at face value and actually… sing.
"Graceful and poised, you sit so dignified,
Upon the palace high, you listen as I sing.
I say, maiden in the palace, your fragrance—
I hold you close to heart,
Carved deep within my soul."
Hearing this, Aphnora's eyes widened, her fair cheeks flushing. He—he was singing a love song?
Outside the palace, the maids stared at Yu Sheng'an, mouths agape, faces filled with disbelief.
This man… this man was singing a love song to the Goddess?
This was unprecedented!
In Vias, such a thing was simply unthinkable. Forget daring to harbor sacrilegious thoughts—even genuine admiration would only manifest in hymns like "Praise the Goddess."
Though the maids wanted to be furious, their maiden hearts made it impossible to scold him!
This was the raw, untamed romance of a rugged man!
"Maiden in the palace, your sorrow—
I hold you close within my heart,
I won't let you wander alone."
Oh, now he was really getting into it?
"What do you mean 'not letting you wander'? Since when has the goddess ever wandered?"
The maidservants were inwardly exasperated, yet the gentle melody was so moving that they couldn’t bear to interrupt.
Inside the hall, Aphnora’s gaze grew distant.
In the eyes of her people, she had always remained in Vias. But who knew that she had been wandering all along, tirelessly searching for undiscovered planes?
Music was so beautiful, and though she avoided worldly conflicts, she knew calamity could strike from the heavens at any moment!
[By the palace under the warm sun]
[Stands a maiden fair]
[With long, snow-white hair]
[And eyes so bright and rare]
"Wow, it matches! It matches!"
The goddess really does have white hair!
At this moment, the maidservants’ hearts raced with excitement, as if this love song were being sung just for them.
Their earlier anger had long since vanished into the clouds. Born and raised in music, devoted to music, they were all the more susceptible to its emotional sway!
But in the end, they were all young women—who among them didn’t harbor dreams of love?
[Maiden, you set my heart aflutter]
[Like a deer in wild stutter]
"Wow!"
So bold! So passionate! So heartfelt!
The maidservants grew even more excited!
Aphnora’s face flushed even redder. This scoundrel! Utterly shameless!
To… to actually sing a love song in her Divine Palace? And with such brazen lyrics? Simply… simply…
Aphnora raised her arm several times, tempted to cast a spell and silence Yu Sheng’an’s singing.
Yet, as if weighed down by an invisible mountain, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Even when Yu Sheng’an later repeated the melody without new lyrics, she still hesitated to interrupt, faintly hoping for more.
At last, the song came to an end!
The maidservants were left spellbound, their gazes toward Yu Sheng’an completely transformed.
It was the look of lovestruck maidens admiring a devoted suitor!
In their minds, they even conjured up a melodramatic tale:
The envoy of the Keville Empire, upon meeting the Music Goddess, was instantly struck by her divine beauty. Captivated by her charm, despite having no musical talent, he was so moved that he spontaneously composed this song—one utterly unlike anything from Vias.
They had a hunch that this exquisitely melodic folk tune might very well sweep through this Divine Kingdom on Earth.
Little did they know, Yu Sheng’an himself was inwardly astonished.
He hadn’t expected to perform so well.
Truth be told, the reason he hadn’t sung earlier was twofold: first, out of shyness, and second, because he was tone-deaf.
Only in his earlier fit of anger had his inhibitions melted away.
As for being tone-deaf?
He had no choice but to pick a simple melody—hence this modified version of "The Maiden by the Bridge."
Come to think of it, the only reason he remembered this song was because its melody closely resembled the children’s tune "Good Baby."
If even toddlers could sing it effortlessly, how much easier for him?
Still, his unexpectedly stellar performance was largely thanks to his status as the Master of Language and Script—altering his voice was second nature to him.
"Aphnora, I really didn’t mean it! Look, you’ve vented your anger, and I’ve sung my song. Forgive me!" Yu Sheng’an called out.
Huh? Forgive you?
The maidservants exchanged glances, their gossipy hearts ablaze. What in the world did you do to incur the wrath of our gentle, merciful goddess?
Could it be… a confession?
"Have you had enough? If so, please leave." A voice neither warm nor cold echoed from the grand hall.
No way?
Yu Sheng'an wore a look of frustration. He had spent considerable time carefully crafting his pitch to persuade the Music Goddess.
The offer he presented was, in his opinion, exceptionally generous.
After all, he was providing a platform with twenty million users—something Aphnora could effortlessly gain. Honestly, if he were in her position, he wouldn’t have been able to refuse.
Could it be that Aphnora had already amassed countless Believers in other planes?
That shouldn’t be the case.
According to historical records, the Azarea Continent was one of the few large planes in this multiverse, with very few others comparable in scale.
And those planes were already claimed by other deities—Aphnora couldn’t possibly have gained any advantage there.
Even if she had, she shouldn’t have rejected such a generous gift.
No god would ever complain about having too many Believers.
Was there another reason?
Yu Sheng'an sighed and turned away helplessly, deciding to return and thoroughly investigate before making his next move.
At that moment, the palace maids watched as Yu Sheng'an left, shaking his head and sighing, and a wave of pity and sympathy welled up in their hearts.
A mortal in love with a goddess—such a tale was destined to be tragic. How pitiful that his sincere affections could only be expressed through music!
How sorrowful and lamentable!
Unbeknownst to Yu Sheng'an as he stepped out of the palace, his subtle actions had been wildly misinterpreted by the court attendants.
Even less did he know that everything that had transpired here would soon spread throughout the divine kingdom of Vias.
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