Chapter 44: 44

Chapter 44

Melody swallowed an enormous breath without realizing it. She was already an accomplice! My goodness, I heard many times in my life that you shouldn’t help people carry their luggage!

Drop. A ‘physical representation of her crossing the line’ was placed in the surprised Melody’s hands, it was adorned with a luxurious pattern.

“It’s alright. Even the old sages who handle these records won’t know.”

Claude found another book and comforted Melody.

“I told you not to be afraid when we cross the line together.”

That was a perfect sophistry. Because the sages won’t be able to apply Claude’s excuses to the ‘law’.

“Maybe what we want to know is here. Don’t you think so?”

“… We?”

“You have a few things to keep in mind. The road passed by the members of the Imperial Family, near the capital.”

And when he kept silent, Melody said the remaining thing.

“The day when… heavy snow fell in spring.”

“That will be our new party day.”

She could somehow feel in his answer that ‘You can definitely find the date.’ However, Melody voiced some concerns with a slightly worried face.

“There may be no day that satisfies everything. Maybe it wasn’t near the capital, and maybe my mother remembered wrongly….”

“Are you afraid?”

“Yes?”

“I mean, failing your expectations.”

That’s… only natural. I am still trying so hard to not get excited.

“I can find it.”

His voice was somehow closer to conviction rather than encouragement.

“I will find it for you. So Miss Melody, it is alright to let your heart pound as much as you want.”

“…”

He was just probably consoling Melody for pure enjoyment, but… but still, Melody was grateful for such kindness. It was also a little weird.

“There is this thing, Young Master.”

“What is it?”

“Why are you being so nice to me?”

He stared at Melody momentarily with a face like, ‘Why are you asking that all of a sudden?’ and soon replied naturally.

“I have no reason to treat Miss Melody badly. I also have a reason to be nice.

“What is the reason?”

“What would happen if I ill-treated the person my little sister likes?”

“Yeah… Miss Loretta would become upset.”

“See? The answer came out right away.”

Melody slowly nodded, but she still had some doubts. If he had that kind of thought, then what about his usual mischievous behavior towards Melody?

“Anyway, I’m a little upset. To have to say something pathetic like ‘the person my little sister likes’ with my own mouth.”

He sighed heavily and flopped down on a nearby sofa. He then opened one of the records. Since then, he had not responded as much to what Melody was saying and began to strongly focus on reading the records. Melody soon sat face to face with him and looked at the records he had given her.

「I will find it for you. 」

Was it because of the words he said with full conviction just now? Whenever she turned the pages, Melody felt her heart beating fast for no reason. As time went by, she didn’t feel anxious about betraying her own expectations which came as a surprise to her. Somehow she was feeling like that.

 

* * *

 

The next day, when the mailman arrived at the Duke’s house.

Higgins, the butler, gave him a yellow envelope. The recipient was surprisingly the mailman. When he opened it, he saw the first line of the letter written by Melody saying, ‘I don’t think I can meet you because of class.’

“What does it say?”

Higgins looked earnestly at the mailman, as if asking him what was written inside.

“Uh, you haven’t heard about this from Miss Melody at all?!”

The mailman asked, somewhat surprised to find out that Higgins, who knew everything about the Duke’s family, knew nothing about the letter’s contents.

“Ahem.”

Higgins didn’t hide his discomfort. From Higgins’ point of view, Claude and Melody were having a lot of fun early in the morning. But he was frustrated that she rarely told him what was going on.

“Wow! In my life, there came a time when I got to know about something concerning the Duke’s family before the butler.”

The mailman giggled and ran away quickly to the carriage.

“Don’t worry! It’s very good… uhm, is it a good thing? Is it because your work is increasing…?”

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He turned his head and muttered to himself before escaping from the Duke’s house.

Despite his restlessness, Higgins heard about the ‘increase in very good things’ that the mailman was talking about. Then a yellow circle was drawn on a specific date in all the calendars hanging in the Duke’s house. Under the pretty number was written:

[Miss Melody’s Happy Birthday]

 

* * *

 

The death penalty was soon carried out. Even on her mother’s last day, Melody had a normal day – with no signs of particular depression or anger – just like everyone else. It didn’t occur to her that she was ‘alone’ again.

Melody had Loretta who came to her every morning to hug her, and Ronnie, who was grumbling behind her every time. In addition, one more special guest visited today.

“Miss Melody, you have a guest.”

Melody naturally knew that a guest would be coming today. She had been expressing her intention to visit him since a few days ago and politely made an appointment.

Melody headed straight to the living room. Her palms were sweaty because she was strangely nervous. Opening the door with a click, the person sitting on the sofa jumped up. The last time she visited, he acted like a half-melted jelly, but it was a little strange as he acted like a sharp ice today. She felt sorry.

“Hi, Isaiah.”

As Melody slammed the door shut, Isaiah sprinted forward in front of Melody and knelt on the hard floor on both his knees – strong enough to make a thud. He looked up at Melody earnestly not caring about his knees even though he seemed to be in an awful lot of pain.

“I was wrong!”

He wasn’t satisfied with what he said once, and repeated the same thing over and over again before telling Melody that he was fine.

“I was really bad! I shouldn’t have done anything you didn’t like! I didn’t really do anything good! Hit me if you want, Melody.”

His enthusiastic look reminded Melody of what Claude said that day.

「That’s because he’s only hot-headed right now. He will definitely want to apologize to Miss Melody after he calms down and looks back on the situation.」

What he said seemed to be true. Seeing Isaiah’s expression on his face, who was repeating his apologies as if he wasn’t satisfied with it, she could be certain about it. She was then reminded of what she replied to Claude.

「I have to apologize first. I lied to him. I promised him I would not go to see my mother….」

“You know, Isaiah,” Melody sat with her knees in front of him, “I am more sorry.”

“Wh, why are you apologizing to me?!”

“That promise….”

Melody was about to say that first, then quickly shook her head.

“In the past,” she had something to apologize to him for before that, “You told me many times that I have to fight for myself but I would always run away.”

“Yeah.”

“Thank you.”

The words ‘I will be alright from now on’ were omitted after her words of thanks. Noticing the expression and tone of Melody, Isaiah was a little saddened. That’s weird. He had always wanted Melody to grow on her own, but he felt lonely now that it happened.

‘Maybe… I.’

Even if I told her that, I think it seems quite good to have Melody rely on me. Isaiah thought to himself.

“Thank you too, Mel.”

He shook off his disappointment and smiled.

Melody asked him for a handshake of reconciliation. For some reason, I think I can become a much closer friend with Isaiah from now on….

“Ack?!”

She reached out her hand thinking that they could be closer friends. Seeing Melody’s hand, Isaiah suddenly screamed.

“Isaiah?”

She called out to him worriedly, but his face was blue and his eyes were shaking.

‘What’s wrong with him?’

Melody slightly tilted her head and Isaiah pointed to her hand. Her thin hands were wrapped in white bandages. Isaiah wrapped his arms around his head and pounded his forehead on the floor.

“I did that, right?! Right?! It’s because I grabbed you too hard, right?!”

“Ah.”

Melody quickly grabbed Isaiah’s shoulders and stopped his strange behavior immediately. There were tears forming in Isaiah’s eyes as he raised his head.

“Hit me, Mel! It’s okay to slap me until you feel better!”

“This is not because you grabbed me too hard.”

“R… really? Then why did you get hurt?”

“Anyway, let’s shake hands.”

After offering her hand with a gentle smile he carefully held her hand – carefully as if he was dealing with a thin glass that would break if touched.

“But Isaiah. What punishment did you receive for that?”

“Ugh…”

Isaiah looked like he was going to cry again when he heard the word ‘punishment’.

“Did you receive such a terrible punishment?”

“No. It was nothing compared to what I was prepared for.”

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