Chapter 27: 27

Melody knew that the water was incredibly hot, so it must have felt very painful as if his skin was going to fall off.

“C-cold water! Water…!”

Melody stuttered on her words and didn’t know what to do on the spot. The back of his hand was getting redder and redder, so she had to submerge it in cold water quickly. Claude was quite calm, unlike Melody.

“Miss Melody?”

“I was wrong! I will get you some water right away. I will go now!”

Melody frantically screamed and ran past Claude into the hallway, but she was unable to go far because her arm was suddenly grabbed.

“Wait, Miss Melody!”

He slightly lowered his waist as he looked into the little girl’s eyes. She was clearly very frightened; she was profusely sweating, and her complexion was pale.

Is this so surprising? The water was definitely hot, but since it was cooled down to match the tea leaves, it was only hot for a few seconds.

“Just ask a servant to bring it if it’s cold water.”

“But, I…!”

“Answer me, Miss Melody.”

He called her back to reality in a calm voice. Her shaking eyes finally reached him and she stopped panicking.

“……Yes.”

When she barely replied to him, he told her with a slight smile, ‘Good. You’re obedient’. Melody felt that her messed up thoughts cleared as she made eye contact with him little by little. Perhaps her memories of what happened in the past and what happened in the present overlapped, so she fell into a panic.

“Miss Melody.”

Melody nodded slowly at Claude’s calm voice who was looking at her closely. In any case, she indeed had done something very wrong to him, so she took a glance at him.

“Can you count numbers?”

“Yes.”

“Great, then start counting up to 50.”

“But – ” Melody tried to retaliate, but she obeyed him when she saw his strict face saying ‘Up to 50’.

“You cannot solve anything by being in a rush like that.”

Couldn’t do anything about it, Melody started counting from zero. Meanwhile, Claude began to sort things out one by one. He called a passing servant and asked him to bring him cold water, and then put the kettle that had been left on the floor back onto the tray.

After the servant brought him cold water, he asked him to clean up the messy floor. It was quickly cleaned dry, and all of this had happened before Melody had counted to 40. Now, Claude put his hands in the bowl of cold water set on a small table.

“47, 48, 49… 50.”

By the time Melody finished counting, she approached Claude and bowed down, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright.”

He took out his hand and then wiped it with a white towel. He was fortunately fine except for some slight redness. “Have you calmed down now?”

Melody only nodded at his question. She was still tense with a stiff face.

“You keep lying to me.”

“That…….”

I couldn’t do anything. Anyone would be so embarrassed after pouring hot water on the Young Master of the house they were living in.

“I’m also sorry. I thought I needed to come back quickly before Miss Melody came here, so I hurried back a little bit.”

“Uh… why?”

“This is the time Miss Melody comes.”

“No, not that,” Melody touched her hair in vain, “Young Master doesn’t even treat me that way.”

“Oh….” He was rarely hesitating to talk in a straightforward manner. Then he bowed his head slightly, “I’m really sorry about that. Please forgive me.”

“……?!”

“I have always thought that I need to apologize to you, but it was difficult to do so when I met you myself.”

Melody was still vigilant against him even though his tone seemed to be quite sincere this time. It was in fact due to the many things that she suffered during that time where he had turned her away with that same tone.

“Wh-why was it difficult to do?”

“That’s of course,” He slightly averted his gaze. He seems to be embarrassed. “You see, I was jealous, because Loretta and Miss Melody are close.”

“….”

“You are probably thinking that I was being childish right now, right?”

That would be true. She couldn’t help but nod at the thought that he was naturally born as a fool for his younger sister.

“Well, you cannot do anything about it. The Young Master doesn’t know what to do whenever he sees the very cute Young Lady Loretta.”

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“The men of the Duke Valdwin’s family fell in love with her at first sight.”

“I know that – very well.” Melody answered unconsciously as she recalled the original story.

“You knew? Very well at that?” But he pointed it out.

Only then did Melody realize she spoke unconsciously. How long was she living here that she spoke as if she knew the Duke’s family very well?

“No, that…. It’s not that I really know it very well, it’s just that….”

He slightly chuckled at the flustered Melody again.

“You’re not the type to listen to other people’s advice, are you? Miss Melody.”

“Yes?”

He tapped Melody’s forehead, “Being flustered won’t help you solve your problems.”

Thinking of it, he told her the same thing earlier. Melody quickly put her hands together and calmed down her excitement.

“That’s a good attitude.” He smiled and praised her again. “Resolutely dealing with your mistakes is important. What I am saying is, act as if you didn’t do anything.”

“Is this also an act here in the capital?”

Melody was taught in the village she grew up that she must apologize to the other person, if she made a mistake.

“Maybe.” His light answer came back mixed with a strange joy.

Melody thought that Claude might not hate her. If it was just something about him disliking her, it seems like the surprised Melody wouldn’t be able to calm down even if he soothes her with words.

“Anyway, I’m glad Miss Melody seems to be completely sincere now.”

Look, he was worried about me again. After all, he is a gentleman the Duke is proud of.

“Yes, I am so much better. It was all thanks to the Elder Young Master.”

“That’s good.”

He walked up right in front of Melody. The distance between them was remarkably close.

“So now,” again, he smiled kindly at her and politely asked a question, “is it alright if I tease you a little?”

His question had nothing to do with the tone of her voice nor her expression, so Melody was naturally confused, but the clever girl was quickly reminded of Claude’s advice.

Being flustered won’t help you solve the situation. She soon replied to him bluntly, “You shouldn’t bully me.”

“But the back of my hand turned out like this.”

He immediately showed her the back of his red hand. This villainous person! Touching my weakness!

He began to laugh strangely and happily as he looked at the frowning Melody. It was also my mistake to think that he was a good person. Claude Valdwin was nothing more than a handsome demon wearing a gentleman’s mask.

 

* * *

 

Claude teased Melody, and she would tremble at his viciousness. It was also because the way he bullied her was very intelligent.

From that day on, he opened his door for Melody to come in. In return, he would give Melody a note for her to transcribe. She would be in his room for an hour every day, and then he would ask her for the ‘travel log’ of the vassals who had moved from the Duchy to the Capital, listing the weather and minor events in the areas they passed through.

She didn’t know what on earth it had to do with ‘education of the capital’s nobles’, but Melody couldn’t refuse his bullying – because he would run over to her while showing the back of his hand when the tired Melody started to doze off, with a face that tells her ‘You’re not going to work after seeing this?’ Of course, the back of his hand was completely fine after two days!

Melody once narrowed her eyes at him and pointed out the truth, “You were fine.”

But Melody couldn’t answer him when he asked her ‘Oh, did it look like that?’ with his meaningful eyes shining. She was really done with him. Besides, there was one more thing that irked Melody.

Those ‘vassals’ who arrived at the Duke’s house. Some of them were loyal to the Duke, and others to the Elders. Even if they weren’t, those people didn’t like Loretta from the beginning of the original story. They would look at Melody with dirty gazes whenever they saw her as if they encountered dirt. They must have heard of her origins from the Elders.

She would hear them saying the words ‘slave trader’ in their gossips. The more that happened, the more Melody raised her head higher. If she was discouraged with such words, she would be ignoring the Duke’s grace who extended his hand to her inside the prison.

Did he notice this kind of atmosphere? A maid gave her surprising news when she came back from Claude’s room.

“Miss Melody, the Duke is waiting for you.”

“Pardon? Now?!”

Melody hurriedly ran and opened the door. To her surprise, the Duke was really standing in front of her room.

“Duke!”

He only nodded his head calmly despite her calling him in surprise.

“From when… Oh, right, before that, I should ask you to have a seat first, right?”

“I have just arrived. I do not mind.”

The Duke took out something from his pocket. There was a green ribbon in his hand soon after. It was the one from when the Elder forcibly took her away.

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