Summary

The year is 1882. The narrator arrives at the Luxembourg Palace for the Sénat Bal: a large party for famous opera stars, composers and musicians. She announces herself to the reader as Lilliet Berne, a famous opera singer who has returned Paris after a year away. However, she loathes appearing in public in an ugly dress, and she tries to avoid the crowd.

Then, Lilliet is approached by a writer named Frédéric Simonet. He tells her the story of the Settler’s Daughter who, despite her inability to speak, could sing a single song. The Emperor gave her a ruby rose brooch as a gift. Shortly after, she disappeared. Simonet claims that he found the ruby brooch and a diary of her life in Paris after purchasing a new home. He was so enamored with...