Chapter 40: 40

It only occurred to Melody after they had made significant progress down the hallway, that she hadn’t corrected the words about Claude a while ago, but she had already passed through the iron bars with the squire.

‘Well… it will be fine.’

I will pass through the office later when I leave, so I can correct that then.

Beyond the iron bars was a hallway with no windows nor decorations. There was a slight gloomy energy, so Melody wrapped her arms around herself.

“It’s just a hallway leading inside. It’s not the inside of the prison yet, so you don’t have to be afraid.”

By the time the squire’s friendly explanation was over, they arrived at the end of the corridor. There were two knights standing guard in front of the iron gate, which looked quite firm, like it was a boulder blocking her way forward. She showed them her identification papers for the last time, and the thick doors began to open.

‘Now really….’

‘So this is the prison,’ she said as she swallowed her saliva.

She was nervous for some reason. She naturally remembered what happened the last time. That thick darkness was still as ‘scary’ to her. Before she knew it, her hands were clenched into small fists.

The heavy door opened a little more. Won’t this place smell just as terrible too? She was closing her eyes subconsciously. But what came to her instead was a small gust of wind that tickled the tip of her nose.

‘…?’

The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was the blinding sunlight.

‘This is the prison… right?’

Melody blinked several times and rechecked the look of the hallway she came from through the door. There was a long corridor, and the garden was visible through the large doorway. Moreover, it was well taken care of by someone’s hand – it was a lot like the Duke’s garden.

“Here is…?”

Melody couldn’t enter due to her confusion and just stared at the squire who was guiding her.

“Yes, this is the prison.”

Being skeptical about her answer, Melody walked rather quickly past the iron gate while following after her. Finally, completely facing the interior, it was far from the ‘prison’ Melody knew – a soft rug that warms both feet, pretty paintings on the white hall hanging for decoration. There was even the scent of the fresh air blowing through the window and the pleasant sunlight shining down on them. Anyone would believe that this was a mansion of some noble family.

But this was obviously the prison. It was clear once you looked at the iron bars attached on the outside of each window. Of course, even the iron bars were made to look like a nice decoration.

‘Come to think of it, it was said this place is where nobles are imprisoned.’

The Duke had once given her a brief description of the facilities here, but she never thought that it would be this luxurious.

“Miss Melody, this way.”

“Ah.”

Suddenly, when she looked up at the voice of the squire calling her, she realized that there was a huge distance between the squire and her. Melody quickly shook her head to clear her mind. This wasn’t a time to be blatantly surprised. I have something to do today.

“I’m sorry.”

When Melody started moving again, the squire turned her back again and proceeded walking. After taking a few more steps,

‘Drop.’

The hem of her clothes was pulled from behind as if it had been caught by something.

‘…?’

Bewildered, she turned around and saw Isaiah leaning behind a pillar. Was he patrolling inside? In any case, he seemed very angry.

‘Why is… Isaiah here?’

In fact, she tried to tell Isaiah about the situation in advance several times after she decided to come see her mother. But on the same day, she decided to tell him that, a short message arrived from Isaiah. It was said that he was given regular training outside the capital for a few days.

‘We didn’t have the chance to talk because we had decided on a date to meet after that.’

Melody tried to explain why she broke her promise, but at that moment, Isaiah pressed his index finger to his lips and told her to stay quiet.

‘Why?’

When Melody confusedly asked him why with her mouth, Isaiah grabbed her arm and pulled her out as if he had been waiting for a chance to. He then naturally led her to another hallway leading to the side.

‘Isaiah?!’

Melody almost screamed, but she couldn’t. It was because Melody was afraid that if the squire who had walked ahead and the other knights, who were standing everywhere, would punish Isaiah if they caught him.

“W, wait. Isaiah, wait.”

Instead, she kept calling him in a whisper. There was no reply. His steps only got faster instead. Moreover, when they heard the startled voice in the distant hallway saying, ‘Miss Melody?!’ he started running frantically.

“Isaiah!”

That moment Melody finally couldn’t hold on anymore and called him out loud, her body swirled and leaned somewhere. It was the end of the hallway.

“Wait here, I’ll help you right away.”

Isaiah suddenly told her and inserted the key in the small door at the end of the hallway.

“This is the path that knights used. You can go straight to the Knights Order building without needing to go through the prison office after you pass here.”

Clink, the locked door opened and Isaiah grabbed Melody’s arm again.

“Isaiah, wait!”

Melody took a step back and tried to stop him, but Isaiah didn’t listen to her. Maybe it was because he was in a hurry thinking that they had to run away secretly.

“Did those nobles throw you in here to save face?”

(T/N: As you all may know, ‘face’ here doesn’t literally mean the part of our body, but refers to a family’s honor or reputation.)

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“No! It’s not like that.”

“What do you mean no?”

He snorted.

“How long do you think I have been in this capital, and you think I don’t know about any of that?”

Some of the nobles placed greater importance on keeping the rules set by the Emperor than on the significance of other people. So, when Isaiah heard that Melody would be coming to see her mother, he thought that she must have been forced by the Duke. According to the laws, the death row prisoner’s last request must be fulfilled.

‘Those crazy people. You’re sending Melody to a place like this?’

Isaiah unwittingly tightened his grip on Melody. He was still angry because her arms were still thin. He had no choice but to protect her since she was still so weak. That is what he thought.

“Isaiah, it hurts!”

With the sound of slight pain in her voice, Isaiah was horrified and quickly dropped his hand. Melody frowned as she rubbed the arm he was gripping so tight a while ago.

“And I came here because I wanted to.”

“Do not lie!”

“Why are you saying I am lying?”

“That woman, towards you…!”

When Isaiah screamed, the sky was shrouded by clouds, the sky darkened, then the darkness hung over the hallway.

“Just think about what she did to you!”

Maybe it was because his face was shadowed by darkness, Isaiah’s distorted face looked even more grim.

“And yet you’re still going to meet her? A person who’s been impatiently waiting to chew you up and spit you out for your entire life?”

“That is true.”

“I don’t agree with that – no, I can’t look at that with my eyes open. Besides, didn’t you say last time that you won’t go meet her?!”

His voice rose, enraged.

“… Sorry for yelling. Anyway, I will take you outside. It is a waste of your time to meet that woman.”

He reached out his arm again, but Melody avoided it. Of course, Isaiah wasn’t able to grab hold of Melody, but it wasn’t because Melody had cleverly avoided him.

“This kind of thing,” it was thanks to Claude who had approached from across the hallway and grabbed Isaiah’s arm, “I thought this kind of thing only happened in novels.”

Claude laughed a little bitterly as he got in between Isaiah and Melody.

“Isaiah Mullen, I do not want to order you as a nobleman. Would you please step back?”

“… ”

Claude’s tone was quite polite, but Claude’s words weren’t kind from the point of view of Isaiah. It was because of his eyes. It wasn’t necessarily an order, but a threat.

“Did you threaten Mel like that?!” Exclaimed Isaiah, in an impatient manner. He had nothing to be bothered about anymore. They will all be caught anyway.

“You can’t even imagine it! How Mel lived. Do you know what she experienced! And you’re forcing that little girl to come here? Do you nobles have no sympathy?!”

“…”

Despite his outbursts, Claude didn’t respond otherwise.

“S**t!”

Isaiah roughly swung his arm out of Claude’s hand. Claude fortunately didn’t stop him. The other knights who were standing nearby had gradually narrowed the distance between them.

Isaiah hurriedly shouted, “Mel! Tell me honestly that you have no intention of meeting that woman! it’s all up to you!”

“I’m sorry, Isaiah.”

First, Melody apologized to him. It was the same as her breaking that promise with him, but she was also sorry now for the past.

Melody used to be helpless a long time ago, unable to stop the people bullying her with her own hands. Not just once, Isaiah had repeatedly given Melody opportunities to punish them herself. Melody naturally knew that she was somewhat unreliable to Isaiah, so it seemed like he only saw her as someone who needed to be protected. Those thoughts piled up one by one – until we have come to this day.

“Isaiah, this was my decision.”

“… What?”

“The Duke didn’t want me to come here. But I came here because I wanted to.”

“W, wait a minute.”

His face was covered with embarrassment. The thought that the Duke might have been opposed to that never crossed his mind.

“Since the Duke is against it, why did you come here! There’s nothing good here!”

Knights came to seize Isaiah as he talked to Melody. The action to be taken to punish him could probably be changed according to Melody’s will. Fortunately, Claude raised his hand to keep the knights from approaching.

“Are you stupid?! Did you forget what kind of life you lived?!”

Melody shook her head. She really wanted to forget how ugly her past was, but she couldn’t.

“But why…!”

Melody glanced back at Claude for a moment at Isaiah’s cry. She didn’t know why she looked at him, but it happened somehow. He smiled when their eyes met, much to her surprise – his expression looked quite kind.

(T/N: I really think that at this rate, Claude is surely the ML lol)

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