Chapter 28: 28

“Did the Elder give it back?”

He put on a slightly bitter expression at Melody’s question.

“I apologize, I must have asked a stupid question.”

“It wasn’t a particularly bad question.”

“Thank you, again, for buying me the ribbon.” Melody held out her hands but was taken aback in surprise, because she had just discovered that her sleeves were covered in black ink marks. “Th-this.” Will he think that I am a clumsy child? Melody blushed in embarrassment, completely forgetting Claude’s advice to ‘not panic’. “I think I got these while writing.”

The Duke looked down at the embarrassed child. No one would get upset if they see ink on a child’s sleeve, but Melody probably doesn’t know that. Did this child grow up in an environment where she wasn’t understood because she was a child?

He placed his large hand over Melody’s head. He once did this to Loretta, but the little girl giggled and told him it tickled.

“…?”

But it didn’t work the same way on Melody. On the contrary, the child just stared at him with her eyes wide open. It seemed like she had no idea what he was doing, so he had to express his thoughts through words.

“You did well.”

He wasn’t used to these kinds of things, so he was unable to say some fancy words towards her. What will Melody say? He was worried that she might say ‘I’m sorry’ again – because she was a child who was always apologizing for everything.

“Thank… you.”

He paused for a moment at her unexpected answer, but he soon put the ribbon in Melody’s hand as if nothing had happened. “Since there are a lot of outsiders in the mansion, this will be necessary.”

“Do you mean, the ribbon will show that I have the Duke’s grace?”

Grace – it wasn’t that grand. It was just to show that Melody is a child belonging to this house, but the Duke nodded his head and answered yes.

“Thank you for protecting me.”

“Of course I would.”

“Wh-what do you mean of course…!”

Melody was a little bit happy – even though she knew it was just the duke being kind.

“I heard you have been getting along very well with Claude.”

Melody was so surprised that her eyes widened. In what way are we getting along well?! Who said such nonsense? Apparently, there was a traitor who told lies in front of the Grand Duke.

“May I ask who told the Duke about that?” Melody was determined to find that traitor so she asked that question to that Duke.

“Hmm? Loretta came and told me that I have nothing to worry about because you two have gotten close.”

“Ah.”

Fortunately, it seems like it was the fairy and not a scoundrel – a cute fairy who dreams of the Duke family’s positive future. What Loretta is hoping for is a future where Melody and Claude can get along. Then she can say that to the Duke. Uhm, rather than that,

“I’m sorry to bother you while you’re busy. This time, I will never lose it and I will cherish it.”

“Are you… saying sorry again?”

Melody couldn’t hear him because the Duke asked in a low mutter.

“Yes?”

“Never mind. Rather than that, you look more tired than usual; are you sleeping well?”

“…!”

Melody was surprised for a moment, but soon cheerfully replied ‘Of course!’ The Duke didn’t seem to believe her entirely, but he didn’t bother asking any more.

 

* * *

 

As the Duke had suspected, Melody’s recent sleeping time has been very erratic. It was because she had work to do – to save Loretta from the pain of the original story. That is why every night, she was preoccupied with such thoughts.

Melody didn’t want anything to happen to Loretta even though, in the beginning, she felt reluctant to change anything in the original at her own will. Anyway, it was the Duke’s vassals that Loretta should be wary of, and among them were the young men who were close to the Elders.

Just like the Elders, they didn’t like the sudden appearance of Loretta as the Duke’s daughter. This was because the right to the dowry brought into the family by the Duke’s wife was promised to be donated to the ‘daughter’ born between them according to the ‘contract’ written by the married couple during their contract marriage. The Duke had no daughters until now, so the Elders were free to tamper with the property.

But with her appearance, the rights to the enormous asset were passed on to Loretta. As a result, the Elders and the vassals used all sorts of underhanded methods to try to deny young Loretta’s existence at all costs.

Meanwhile, in the original story, the dress that Loretta received from a noblewoman in the capital was damaged. As it turns out, the culprit was one of the Duke’s vassals, and although he received a heavy punishment…

‘Loretta was very upset.’

She ended up destroying the dress she got as a token of favor in the unfamiliar capital.

So on the days a gift came for Loretta, Melody would hide near her dressing room to monitor if anyone suspicious would come. Today as well, she snuck out of her room waiting until the moon went down like this.

It was a bit chilly on those autumn nights when the temperature dropped. Melody, who was only wearing thin pajamas, had her shoulders slightly trembling because of this.

‘I will have to wear more clothes next time.’

With that in mind, she held her breath quietly in the corner near the dressing room. She was hiding in the dark. Try and come, I will shout out loud in a voice that Grandma has acknowledged, and I will make all the little servants chase after you with sticks! The vassals would be scolded just for stealing the key and breaking into Loretta’s dressing room. Besides, Loretta’s gift is going to be safe, so I guess this is what can we call the ‘best ending’.

While Melody was smiling in the gloomy dark, someone approached her from behind with his presence concealed and spoke to her.

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“Miss Melody?”

The little girl was startled and turned around to see Claude Valdwin standing there. Melody quickly and objectively analyzed the current situation she was in.

[1. I snuck out at night.
2. I was hiding in the dark.
3. I was staring suspiciously at the dressing room full of expensive items.]

“…!” Melody opened her eyes wide and tried to convey the truth first, “I haven’t stolen anything yet!”

Ah, my tongue slipped.

“Uhm… yet?”

Of course, he didn’t miss the moment and asked for an explanation on that part.

Really, why are you doing this? Claude’s face turned into a white devil today when Melody couldn’t say anything and just made a crying face. I’m doomed. I am doomed today!

“No, Young Master, that isn’t it.”

Melody quickly started making excuses with a face blue with embarrassment. But before she could even come up with a valid excuse, Claude buried his face in his palm and started to laugh.

“I know. I know, there’s no way you would steal something from the dressing room, right?”

“Right? Young Master thinks so too, right?”

Claude nodded in agreement when Melody said that with a more relieved face, “Of course. Actually, I have always felt something after watching Miss Melody every day.”

“Felt?”

“You always complain that you don’t like what I tell you to do, but you have always done it perfectly and consistently.”

Melody played with her hair as he suddenly gave her a compliment. This person can also say nice things for some reason, this white devil.

“So, if that kind of Miss Melody was to steal something, she would at least be aiming for the Family Head’s ring.”

“Yes?”

“Because dresses and jewelry can be stolen from anywhere, even if you’re not a Duke.”

Melody was speechless and stared at the boy who was needlessly glowing in the dark with her mouth wide open.

“I didn’t steal!”

“Well, if you want to argue like that, I won’t really stop you.”

“Are you harassing me again?”

“Look at you.” He put his hands together and lightly clapped them, “Your ability to learn is good.”

“Even a pebble who doesn’t have any ability to learn will know this much! You are always bullying me.”

“I am sorry about that, but it can’t be helped. I am jealous of you.”

Melody actually had nothing to say when he pushed his jealousy in front. It was as if he was acknowledging the fact that ‘Loretta likes Melody the most!’

Melody smiled at that and she somehow shrugged her shoulders.

“So,” since Melody had returned to normal, he slowly returned to the topic, “what were you doing here?”

“That….”

There was something. This was a stage. The main character is of course our cute Loretta! But there will be an incident where the villain, who abused Loretta, is going to ruin her dress! Therefore, this chapter 1 villain was watching here to punish the chapter 3 villain!

… she couldn’t really say that, even more so to this white devil.

Melody uses her flexible head to somewhat adapt a story: she saw the vassals gathered by ‘accident’. She ‘accidentally’ approached them but she felt that the atmosphere was unusual. She ‘accidentally’ overheard them making a bad plan.

Melody looked at Claude as he pondered over her words. Considering his personality, he would point out that Melody had said the word ‘accidentally’ three times. It was unlikely that her excuse would work. Melody had already thought of his likely answer to her story.

‘In reality, there is no probability of that scenario occurring.’

“That….”

Claude finally spoke after thinking for a while. Melody swallowed her saliva while preparing herself to refute the probabilities that would follow. “Don’t go to dangerous places, because Miss Melody is still a child.”

However, the words he spoke, with a frown that tightly knitted his brows, were completely different from what Melody had envisioned.

“Miss Melody should quietly move away if you accidentally encounter an unusual atmosphere. If possible, consult with a trusted adult.”

It was quite similar to Melody’s advice to Loretta a while back. Melody felt that this white devil really cared about her when she thought of it that way.

“Do you understand?”

“… Yes.”

“Alright, then let’s go back.”

“Yes?”

Melody looked at him with an expression asking him ‘What about the dress? The vassals?’

“Miss Melody just told a trusted adult now. He’s going to figure it out.”

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