Chapter 2

 

***

 

‘What should I do?’

Melody hesitantly reached out her hand to comfort the sobbing child.

Her fingers nearly touched the soft golden hair.

However, she couldn’t bring herself to go any further, fearing that Loretta would become even more frightened or saddened.

Stuck in an awkward distance, the child eventually buried herself under the covers.

As if she sensed Melody’s attempt to stroke her hair.

‘…After all, to Loretta, I’m no different from a slave trader.’

Melody withdrew her hand that had been hovering in the air.

She lingered uncertainly by the rain-streaked window but couldn’t bring herself to wish the child goodnight.

 

* * *

 

Melody didn’t give up and continued trying to take good care of Loretta.

About a week later, Loretta began to give Melody brief glances.

It was only for a few seconds, and she would quickly turn away, but it was progress.

Melody was happy to make even fleeting eye contact with the child, feeling her efforts were somehow paying off.

“Loretta, are you hungry?”

Now, Loretta didn’t immediately hide in the corner when Melody approached with a basket.

Still wary, she would quickly escape to the wall if their eyes met.

But she no longer trembled as before.

“Here’s some bread and milk. Eat whenever you’re comfortable.”

As always, Melody left the basket and exited the room. The child promptly ate the bread, leaving none behind.

‘She’s cute. Like a little squirrel.’

Melody quietly watched her munching on the bread and smiled proudly.

Then, unexpectedly, their eyes met.

“……”

“……?”

For a bit longer this time.

Long enough for Loretta’s big eyes to blink several times.

“……”

“……”

Could this be a sign that Loretta was starting to open up?

“Melody! Come here right now!”

But this strange ‘eye contact’ moment was cut short by my mother’s shout from outside.

“Sorry, I have to go to my mother. You should eat slowly, okay?”

As Melody stood up, the child just bowed her head, not responding.

 

* * *

 

That night, summer rain fell again. Melody was glad for the coolness it brought after the day’s heat, but she also worried.

‘The clouds are heavy. What if it thunders?’

Actually, Melody wasn’t particularly afraid of thunder and lightning.

But ever since recalling how her past self feared them, she began to feel the same.

As if she was becoming more like her past self in thoughts and feelings.

As the sky darkened, hearing my mother snoring in her room, Melody immediately went to find Loretta.

The child seemed to be waiting for her, getting up from her spot as soon as Melody opened the door.

‘Recently, Loretta hasn’t been falling asleep while sobbing.’

That must be a sign that she’s feeling a bit more at ease.

“Come here, let’s go to my room and sleep.”

Before Melody could even finish her soft invitation, Loretta scurried over to stand in front of her.

‘…Oh.’

It was good that she came closer, but…

The child’s face looked scared, as if she feared something.

‘Did mother do something to her?’

Worried, Melody led Loretta to her room and gave up her bed to her.

The child immediately curled up and started sobbing softly.

Just like the first day she arrived.

‘Something really must have happened!’

Panicked and not knowing what to do, Melody didn’t dare to stroke the child’s hair.

‘What should I do? What should I do?’

In her confusion, she decided to slightly open a window.

Although it was raining a bit, the cool breeze might comfort Loretta.

Click.

As she opened the window a crack, the moist wind blew in, fluttering the curtains.

The sound of the rain should have been comforting, but…

“Uh, ueeeeng…”

It didn’t work. If anything, the child’s crying seemed to get louder.

Melody quickly closed the window. As the sound of the rain hitting it diminished, so did Loretta’s crying.

‘…Why?’

Even though thunder and lightning are scary, the sound of rain is usually soothing.

Melody approached the still curled-up child, and suddenly remembered what her mother had said on the day she brought Loretta.

“Today is really a lucky day. On my way back from the auction, I found a carriage that had an accident in the rain. Look at this, Melody.”

Rain…

‘The rain… It was raining then.’

The day Loretta’s life had tragically changed.

Melody now understood why the child had wriggled into the blankets.

She must have been trying to escape the sound of the rain, which constantly reminded her of the terrible accident.

What to do?

Melody had closed the window and drawn the thin curtains, but the sound of the rain still seeped into the room.

‘I don’t want to force her to listen to something that scares her.’

After some contemplation, Melody moved closer to Loretta.

For the first time in two weeks, she reached out to the child again. But her fingers hesitated, awkwardly curling instead of touching.

Did she sense my presence? The child curled up even smaller.

“I-I’m sorry!”

Melody quickly retracted her hand in alarm, but then realized Loretta hadn’t recoiled because of her.

The rain had intensified. The tapping sound on the window must have resembled what the child heard inside the carriage.

“It’s really scary, isn’t it? You know, I get scared of thunder and lightning and cover my ears just like you.”

Perhaps driven by urgency, Melody blurted out something she’d never told anyone.

“I mean, I haven’t tried it, but if you cover your ears with both hands, it might block out more sound.”

“……”

“So, if I put my hands over yours…”

Perhaps it was the novelty of Melody’s longer-than-usual speech, but Loretta, who had been leaning in the corner of the bed, slowly turned to face Melody, still covering her ears with her small hands. Under the faint light of a candle, they looked at each other, just as they had during the day.

“Um, so…”

Gathering courage, Melody brought her hands to Loretta’s ears.

“How about this? Does it make the rain sound quieter?”

“……”

“Doesn’t it make the rain sound a little softer?”

Melody tried to smile at Loretta, her face smeared with tears, hoping to provide some reassurance.

“……”

“Still… same.”

But the response that came after a while was quite different from what Melody expected.

“Is that so?”

Feeling awkward, Melody was about to withdraw her hands when Loretta seemed about to cry again. Quickly, she covered the child’s ears again.

‘It won’t make her cry more, will it?’

Contrary to her worries, Loretta’s face looked a bit more relaxed.

“That’s good.”

Melody whispered softly. Soon, Loretta shifted slightly backwards, as if to make room for Melody on the bed.

With her arms getting tired from standing and covering her ears, Melody accepted the kind offer. The narrow bed was just enough for the two young and small girls.

“Loretta.”

Melody called the child’s name softly.

She thought Loretta might not hear her with her ears covered, but the child’s frightened eyes looked straight at her.

“It’s okay. Chapter 1 is very short.”

“……?”

“Um, I mean.”

How should she explain?

Even though they were lying together on the same bed, their situations were completely different.

Melody was destined to live this impoverished life, born in this world and continuing up to now.

But Loretta was different.

This brief Chapter 1 was just a fleeting moment to gain the reader’s sympathy.

Loretta would soon hold happiness and luxury in her small hands that Melody could never dream of.

“So what I mean is… Loretta will be happy soon. So…”

“……”

“Don’t be scared, let’s go to sleep.”

Did Melody’s feelings get through? Loretta nodded slightly.

As time passed, the sound of rain grew louder.

Yet, Loretta’s breathing gradually became more stable.

They say sleep is contagious. Before long, Melody too fell asleep.

The rain continued until morning, but the two girls were unaware of how long it had lasted.

 

* * *

 

After spending the night together, Loretta seemed to open up more to Melody.

“Merodi.”

Despite her clumsy pronunciation, she began to call Melody by her name.

“Let’s eat with Loreta.”

She even suggested eating meals together, which she used to eat alone secretly.

Melody intensified her ‘be kind to Loretta’ strategy.

She sneakily prepared tasty snacks behind her mother’s back and combed her hair beautifully.

They picked up discarded newspapers from the street to read together, though the reading was brief, and they soon folded the papers into boat shapes and played.

After another two weeks, Loretta and Melody became very close.

As a testament, Loretta started following Melody everywhere.

She mimicked everything Melody did and smiled whenever their eyes met.

And when her mother wasn’t around, she would quickly approach and grab Melody’s hand, saying, “Merodi, I like you so much.”

That shy confession was so adorable that Melody couldn’t stop her grinning lips.

If the protagonist says such things…

When the Duke comes to rescue Loretta, would bowing in apology be enough for forgiveness?

No, that’s too happy a fantasy.

Considering the misdeeds her mother had accumulated, it wouldn’t be so simple.

Would she be whipped…?

That seems quite painful… But it’s a much better outcome compared to the original story.

Alright, let’s try to minimize our guilt until the Duke comes.

At least to avoid death!

Just then, Loretta hugged her tightly, saying, “Merodi, you’re so pretty.”

Such a kind child.

Melody gently patted her small back leaning against her, thinking, ‘This adorable little one.’