Chapter 15: 15

“That’s because they don’t like us that much.”

Melody immediately understood that when he said ‘us’, he must be referring to the three sons of the Duke. The elders weren’t very fond of the Duchess who had abandoned her duties and went into hiding. That’s why they looked at them with judging eyes.

‘Oh my gosh… Ronnie is so worried about Loretta.’

In the original, he only said it to Loretta whom he met at the hallway.

「Don’t you think if they come, they’ll tell someone like you to get out of this mansion as soon as possible?」

Of course, that must’ve been his way of trying to warn Loretta about the elders. But in the end, his words became a poison to Loretta that made her nervous. They caused her to keep on making mistakes in front of the elders.

“Don’t you worry, I’ll surely tell Miss Loretta the words the Young Master has told me.”

“……What?”

“You came here to let Miss Loretta know because you’re worried about her. Isn’t that right?.”

“D-do you think I’m crazy?!”

His complexion turned bright red as Melody spoke the truth. That reaction meant YES. Seeing how red he was, it wasn’t just a YES, but a super ultra YES. Well, it makes sense… he has already become extremely attached to his younger sister, he just has trouble being honest about it.

Melody changed her question to tease the boy.

“Then, are you worried about me and not Miss Loretta?”

The boy jumped a little at the surprising question. He didn’t say anything so Melody thought he didn’t think it seemed like a question worth answering.

Melody quickly bowed her head, feeling guilty for teasing him. Thinking of it, the arrival of the Duke’s guests wasn’t a joke to the Young Master.

“My apologies, Young Master.”

Melody quickly changed her attitude and politely apologized. She could almost feel his firm voice while he glared at her. It seemed like he was glowering at her with a tremendous stare.

“I was so happy that the Young Master was worried about her that I seemed to be unknowingly rude.”

“What?”

“What I’m saying is, you’re worried about Miss Loretta.”

Melody made it clear that ‘Young Matter wasn’t worried about me’. He tried to spit out a few words as if he was exasperated but abruptly stopped, and eventually shouted at her.

“You, you are really bad!”

“Yes.”

“There is a degree to being impudent!”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t you think if they come, they’ll tell someone like you to get out of this mansion as soon as possible?”

…what? Melody doubted her ears for a moment. She never thought that Ronnie’s line, from the original novel, which was meant for Loretta would be said in this situation. Is it because I look strange so he thought they would think I was unfit to be here? Melody unconsciously raised her head and stared at Ronnie with a gaze that said she was deep in thought.

“……!”

When their eyes met, Ronnie’s face turned red again, and he swiftly turned his head away. What else does this YES mean? Does that mean he’ll welcome Melody’s banishment with open arms?

“E-even if you make a pitiful face like that, you can’t change the truth. The elders will definitely hate you!”

“But I’m not hurt.”

“Hmph, you can’t pretend to be strong when you’re so weak.”

“Moreover, there’s no way the elders would want to drive me out.”

“What do you mean?”

“You see, I’m just a child accompanying Miss Loretta. Important people won’t take interest in me, just like how you, Young Master, don’t pay attention to me.”

“W-who says?!”

“Pardon? What?”

“I told you… ha, forget it.”

He mumbled words only he himself could hear, and turned around. Melody tried to open the door quickly for him, but he pulled it open before she could reach it and he turned his head toward her with a grumpy face.

“You are really ugly!”

“Yes?”

“Hmph!”

He smiled triumphantly and closed the door with a slam.

‘Since when did you want to say that I’m ugly?’

I can’t believe you have such a refreshed face.

But let’s be clear, saying that Melody was ugly is a no-no. She also knew that it was not that she was actually ugly, but Loretta was too cute and pretty so she melts everyone around her so everyone looks plain next to her. Besides, in the novel, Ronnie said that his younger sister had become the beauty standard in this world so of course, Melody would’ve become a lump of half-melted butter next to her.

“Compared to the Duke, Young Master is more like a lump of half-melted butter. Hmph.”

(T/N: ‘Half-melted butter’ probably means that you are just half of someone you are compared to in terms of looks, attitude, etc.)

Melody finished her silent revenge as she murmured to herself. The Grandmother once told her that her heart would become full of dust if she bottled up all the words she wanted to say.

(T/N: ‘Dust’ means that when you bottled up something rather than saying it out loud, you will be burdened instead and would make you feel angrier because you can’t let it out. So instead of keeping it to yourself, let it out.)

Oh, that’s refreshing. Melody snorted and turned around.

 

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* * *

 

The morning of the next day.

When Loretta and Melody woke up, the maids of the Duke were waiting in their room with twinkling eyes. As soon as they finished their simple breakfast, they changed into neat and cute clothes. The maids had brought two new gift boxes for the two of them this morning.

Like last time when the Duke had gifted them hats, it was another set of well packaged boxes along with the Duke’s card on them.

“It looks like the Duke really likes the two of you!”

Loretta giggled in response to the maid’s words.

“Hmm, I showed the Duke thwee times dat Loretta is breating.”

Loretta showed off her abdominal breathing to the three maids. It was cute to see her belly expand with her deep breaths, and the maids laughed.

“Melody told me. Loretta is cute even if she breats. Duke also pwaise Loretta when I breat.”

The maids laughed even more at the thought of the blunt Duke praising the little girl for breathing.

“Hurry up and open them! We are curious too!”

Melody now understood why the maids had their eyes shining so early in the morning. It must be because they were very curious about what the Duke had sent to the two of them that they could hardly hold back their curiosity.

Melody and Loretta counted to three and decided to open the boxes at the same time.

Three, two, one and voila! There was an identical green ribbon for both of them inside the boxes when they opened them. This time too, the girls received the same thing so they would match when they would tie it on their hair.

“Oh, it’s a green ribbon.”

“The Duke really is silly, it would suit you better if it was a darker color.”

The maids thought that the ribbon color was a bit disappointing.

“Still, it would be very cute if you two wore the same ribbon.”

“That’s right.”

The maids put the green ribbon on the right side of Loretta’s head while the other was put on Melody’s left side, respectively. When they finished putting it on, they pressed their hands over their mouths while they gasped. They were delighted at the appearance of two little girls.

“Wow! Today, the two of you must hold hands like this.”

“The two of you are like a matching set. Ahh.”

“The Duke’s sense for gifts is terrifyingly amazing.”

Just a while ago, they were saying that it would suit them better if it was a darker color.

While the maids were busy admiring the two girls, they started to hear the noise of carriages outside. Loretta ran side by side with Melody to the window and watched as the colorful carriages lined up.

They had arrived – the elders of the Ducal Family who will never welcome Loretta’s existence.

 

* * *

 

Duke Valdwin was sitting at the head of the table in the conference room, showing his utmost patience.

“Do you know what the Duke and all of us should focus on the most?”

Since ancient times, the Duke has given great authority to the elders of the family. One of their roles was to give generous advice and advise the Duke. This had become a system for the elders who had gained numerous experiences over the years to impart their knowledge to the Duke. But in some cases, it became an opportunity for the elders to confront the Duke, which gave a headache to the patriarch.

That’s exactly how it is now. The current elders valued tradition and honor above all else, and for this purpose, they did not hesitate to rebuke the Duke.

“We must uphold the traditions and honor of the house of Valdwin.”

“Have you ever thought how ridiculous it was to be swayed by an untrustworthy testimony and look for a missing daughter?”

“I explained the credibility of the testimony in the last letter I sent to you. Even the elders present here agreed.”

“That, I didn’t know your lordship would cause such a fuss just to find his daughter, so I gave you permission. Do you know what the other noble’s have been talking about in society?”

It was a rhetorical question; the Duke was also well aware of the rumor. The Duchess gave birth to his child outside of the Duchy, so the Duke must’ve kicked his pregnant wife out of the house. It was obvious what the elders would think of doing upon hearing such a disgraceful rumor. For the sake of the house of Valdwin’s reputation they would ignore the existence of the child born outside.

The Duke already had three heirs so pretending not to know about the existence of another one doesn’t mean that anything big would happen. But to the elders who value their honor so much, they couldn’t honestly express such a lowly intention. Therefore, they couldn’t stop the Duke when he said he would find his daughter, and they were only able to sabotage him timidly from behind his back.

In any case, the Duke raised his hand to stop them. He didn’t want to hear those ridiculous rumors again from the mouths of the elders.

“It’s better not to worry about words that even the owner won’t bring up.”

The elders looked at each other for a moment, then brought up a slightly different story. Fortunately, they still had something to nitpick about.

“Alright. If so, please protect the dignity of this mansion at the very least.”

The Duke’s eyebrow twitched when he heard the words ‘dignity of the mansion’.

“That child… who is now living in the Duke’s residence as a possible playmate candidate for your presumed daughter, but that slave trader mother of her’s apparently wanted to sell her.”

One of the elders said with a face contorted in disgust, as if he had stepped on a pile of dirt lying in the street.

“Even low level aristocrats should know their place when entering the Valdwin estate. But you have brought in a child who might have been a slave into the mansion.”

The topic of Loretta living in the residence soon led to Melody.

“We have yielded with you a hundred times that the other child is your lordship’s daughter, so let’s assume that for now. But isn’t the situation with the other girl different?”

“That is a slave trader’s daughter. That filthy, vulgar bloodline of criminals must not set foot in this holy mansion!”

(e/n: Those rude old men better stay far away from my cuties (◣_◢) Melody and Loretta don’t need that negativity around them.)

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