Chapter 39: 39

Melody intuitively noticed that his look of ‘concern’ had something to do with his early morning visit to the Duke’s mansion. So without saying anything else, she stood before him and waited for him to continue his words.

“Here, I’m giving this to you, Miss Melody.”

He handed Melody the bouquet of flowers which was big enough that she needed to embrace it with both of her arms. The sweet smell tickled the tip of her nose.

“I wasn’t asked to deliver that.”

He quickly explained so that Melody wouldn’t misunderstand and think that someone else had asked him to ‘deliver’ the flower.

“I am giving it to you. That… one.” The mailman took off his hat and held it up in front of his heart. “I kept thinking about it. Yesterday….” His grip while he was holding his hat tightened. “I was worried that I might have hurt you.”

He didn’t even mention what mistake he had made, but the two of them were naturally thinking of the same moment.

「That means we can bring it any day. 」

“So, I wanted to apologize.” He bowed slightly, “I’m sorry, Miss Melody.”

“I, I’m fine!”

Those words came out of Melody’s mouth reflexively. It was because she wasn’t used to receiving such an apology from an adult.

“It is true! You said nothing wrong in fact.”

Until now, everytime around the time the yellow spring flowers in her village were in full bloom, Melody would be a year older. It had been ten years since she had made up that tradition, and she didn’t want to get hurt by that anymore.

“There might be things you don’t want to remember even if it was the truth.”

He apologized once again, so Melody nodded and thanked him – because he could have just let it go, but he had come to formally apologize to her like this.

“Actually, I have a nephew around Miss Melody’s age. I guess that’s why I was more worried.”

He smiled softly as he started talking about his nephew she didn’t ask about. She could figure it out without his further explanation. That nephew must have been the popular foolish nephew of the family.

“Well, if I tell you this, you might think that I am overstepping my boundaries,” he erased his fluttering smile and looked at Melody with a serious face, “But it would be better for you to set the date of your birthday on a day you like – for the pleasure of having a meaningful day.”

“…”

“It would be fun to call Miss Melody’s name on a pretty day and exchange congratulatory letters. It’s safe to believe something like that will happen since a postman like me has seen a few people do that.”

His mail carriage was filled with a large number of gifts and letters today at first glance. Melody had a glimpse of what that unknown person would feel like to be handed a gift with a cute envelope and a ribbon.

“Everyone has the right to enjoy something special on their birthday – especially children.”

“I… will think about it.”

The mailman told her, ‘You have to tell me if you pick a good day,’ as he went back up to the carriage. It was time for him to return to work.

Melody returned to her room after the carriage left, hugging the large bouquet of flowers tightly. She placed the bouquet of flowers on her desk and checked on the bowl where the pine cones were placed. The pine cones, which had soaked in the water, glistened.

While she was removing some water from their surfaces, she was reminded of what the mailman told her a while ago. He was just talking about an ordinary source of joy, but it was also something Melody had never had before. At this rate, maybe she would live without experiencing it, forever.

‘… You can choose any day and set it as your birthday.’

Drop.

For what reason?

Melody unconsciously dropped the pine cone she was holding onto the floor. Perhaps she was restless about something.

 

* * *

 

「There is something you need to find out from your mother. 」

In the end, Melody went to the Duke and told him – it wasn’t that she needed to meet her mother, but that there was something she must know from her mother. The two reasons would mean that she still has to meet with her mother, but there was a huge difference between them.

The Duke didn’t ask her what she wanted to know nor did he say anything to confirm Melody’s words. However, looking at Melody’s tightly pursed lips, he gave her a short answer, ‘I will prepare it then’.

So, Melody went to the Central Prison once again.

“But why is the Young Master accompanying me now? The Duke is in good health.”

This time, Claude offered to accompany Melody.

“I forgot my father had many ears in the mansion.”

“What?”

“It’s nothing.”

He glossed over his words and opened the door of the carriage.

“Let’s go.”

Melody climbed up the carriage at his suggestion and momentarily looked out of the window. She saw Ronnie and Loretta picking up chestnuts under the chestnut tree.

「I will pik up a lot and eat it togeder with Melody! 」

The carriage started moving as Melody smiled upon remembering the words she heard from her this morning.

 

* * *

 

It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the Central Prison, and they quickly passed through the main gate.

She was worried that Isaiah might run out of the main gate after hearing the news and nag at her, but such a mishap didn’t happen fortunately.

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「Mel, will you promise me? 」

I wouldn’t have made that promise with Isaiah if I knew this would happen. It was weighing on Melody’s mind that she had carelessly promised something like that with him.

‘I must apologize to him when we meet later.’

With his fiery personality, Isaiah might get angry at Melody – no, maybe he’s already sulking.

Their carriage stopped in front of a building. The staff who would guide Melody politely greeted her in front of the carriage.

“Are you alright?”

As Melody was about to get off the carriage, Claude, who was sitting opposite her, asked her a question. Seeing that he didn’t ask her if ‘something’ was alright, he was probably asking her about her overall mood due to the situation.

“I’m alright.”

“You’re very brave.”

He held out one hand after giving her a compliment full of admiration.

“I can go with you if necessary.”

“Young Master will?”

“I would be pretty useful.”

Melody pondered for a moment about how he might be useful. Since he already looked like ‘a son of a noble family’, no one would harass Melody inside the prison. Maybe even her mother… would be a little gentler to Melody with one person going with her inside.

However, Melody lightly shook her head.

“I’m sorry. I will not use the Young Master.”

“I know. I also don’t like talking about my mother either.”

Claude withdrew his outstretched hand.

“Then I will wait in the carriage.”

“You’re not going to the reception room?”

“It is very comfortable in the reception room. It will be uncomfortable here.”

“…”

“What I’m saying is, Miss Melody. Please remember that I am waiting in an uncomfortable position.”

What he means is, don’t take the initiative to converse with your mother more than necessary, get what you need quickly, and come back right after that.

“Young Master encourages people in a very strange way.”

“I just found out that my kindness, encouraging words and the times I have been lending help, aren’t being remembered.”

It was his way of expressing his spite for not receiving Melody’s handwritten letter. In fact, he had yet to receive a plausible letter from Melody or Loretta until now. However, not knowing this, Melody only tilted her head slightly. She was wondering when he got hurt and why he was venting his anger like this.

“Anyway, I will be back.”

Melody cheerfully jumped down from the carriage – with one vague thought that everything will turn out just alright.

“Hello.”

Soon, a young woman waiting near the entrance spoke to her in a friendly tone. She was wearing the same clothes as Isaiah, so it wasn’t difficult to identify her.

“Are you a squire?”

To Melody’s question, she smiled and replied yes. Her healthy, tanned face somehow reminded her of Isaiah and she was relieved.

“You’re right. And I am in charge of guiding Miss Melody. Please follow me.”

She started walking first, and Melody briefly turned around to check on the carriage. Claude was still sitting inside in an uncomfortable position, then he waved his hand at her when their eyes met.

‘Does he mean that I should enter now?’

Anyway, she couldn’t be too far from the guide so Melody quickly followed after the squire. They passed under the open vaulted ceiling. Just in time, the guards and the other squires who were there gave way to Melody. Will they not check my identity?

“There are three verification processes in total.”

Knowing that Melody was now curious, the leading squire raised her three fingers.

“You’ve already passed the verification once, right?”

Melody nodded. It was the place where she reunited with Isaiah last time, and she will need to go through the process of verifying herself this time again. She wondered what she would do if she ended up meeting Isaiah suddenly…. Luckily, she didn’t run into him.

“You just have to do it two more times. Please come this way.”

A small office appeared as she entered the door she had opened. With one desk in the middle, there was a bookshelf filled with documents on the other side. Though it looked like a pretty normal office, there was something a little unusual about it. There was another hard iron bar door facing the entrance, on the opposite side from where Melody had entered the office. If you are an outsider, you must go through this office to enter the prison.

“Please provide documentary evidence.”

As the man sitting on the desk said so, Melody held out a white envelope from her arms that the Duke had given her. The man quickly checked the content and returned the documents. In fact, it seemed like he barely read what was written there.

“Verified. By the way, didn’t Sir Claude, who was supposed to be your guardian, come with you?”

“Young Master also came, but….”

Melody was going to say, ‘He said he was waiting in the carriage’. However, the employee’s response was a little faster than her’s.

“Then that means he will come inside in a little while. Alright.”

That’s not it. Melody wanted to correct his words, but she was surprised by the ‘clunking’ sound coming from the other side that she forgot to correct him. The iron bars that seemed to have been tightly closed had opened.

“Please come this way.”

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