“Not that..." Claudia stole a glance at Bennett. His demeanor was as calm as ever.

Her mind had wandered too far. This piece of music was serene, gentle, and captivating. Its harmonies brought a sense of comfort to anyone who listened. Though classified as a love song, the romance portrayed was not overpowering; instead, it seemed as if Schumann was serenely reminiscing about cherished moments shared with his beloved.

People who didn't know the story usually just feel soothed and at ease listening to this piece, without any intrusive thoughts clouding their minds.

Claudia thought she was thinking too much. Bennett was probably just one of such people who simply found the melody beautiful.

She shook off her doubts, placed her fingers on the piano keys, and filled the room with the calming notes of Traumerei.

As the final note reverberated, Claudia instinctively looked at Bennett.

He was also looking at her, toying with the candy in his hand. "This song was Schumann's gift to his lover, Clara.”

Claudia was caught off guard, her cheeks coloring. "Oh, so you're aware of that."

“Indeed,” he responded casually, unwrapping the candy and popping it into his mouth.

“Thank you for the performance, Miss Marshall."

With that, he rose, pivoted on his heels, and departed from the piano room.

Confusion swirled in Claudia's mind. What was he trying to imply? Was she being deceived? Was this some kind of trap?

But why?

Claudia found herself perplexed. Her focus was disrupted by Bennett, and she felt no urge to continue her practice. Instead, she retreated to her room, reaching out to Aurora through her phone.

“Aurora, I need your input on something. I've got this friend, a fellow pianist. A guy she knows abruptly said he was feeling down and requested her to perform Schumann's Traumerei for him."

“Okay, what happened next?"

“Schumann composed Traumerei as a romantic gesture for his sweetheart Clara. It's more like a love letter. Initially, my friend didn't read too much into it. She figured that this friend of hers was probably oblivious to the piece's deeper sentiment. Yet, to her surprise, after she completed the performance, the guy mentioned Schumann wrote this song for his beloved Clara."

"I see, What happened then?"

"Following this, he thanked her for the performance. My friend believed it to be some sort of charade on his part, but she couldn't comprehend why this male friend of hers would feel the need to resort to such antics..."

“Ah, now I get it. You're implying that Bennett asked you to play Traumerei today because he was feeling Low. When you wrapped up the performance, he surprised you by expressing his knowledge about the piece's background story. You're now contemplating his intentions, right?"

"Ne “Alright, your friend. To tell you the truth, from my twenty-six years of singlehood, your husband, oh no, your friend's friend seems to be trying to profess his love in a subtle way. What a clever declaration of love, I must say!! It's another day of public love proclamation!"

! It's not about me! It's about my friend!"

“Hold on, you're getting it wrong. I'm genuinely talking about a friend of mine! My friend..."

“Which one exactly, then? My dear, don't overthink it. Your husband is attempting to profess his Love to you. Time for you to respond! I've gotta go now!"