Chapter 88

 

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“Uh.”

Melody felt the urge to turn her head away.

However, Isaiah tightened his grip slightly, as if he wouldn’t allow her to pull away.

“That’s what I’ve been saying. There are too many young masters in this house!”

Isaiah was convinced that they must have been the ones harassing Melody.

After all, in the village where they used to live, there was a mountain of boys who couldn’t stand not being able to bully Melody.

Beating those boys had been almost a daily routine for Isaiah.

He thought that the young masters from noble families in the capital would be no different.

“It’s not because of the young masters from the ducal house. They’re basically nice to me.”

Melody quickly defended the three. She hoped Isaiah wouldn’t harbor unnecessary suspicions.

“What?! It’s not because of the young masters from the ducal house?!”

“Yes, so.”

Melody wanted to say, ‘You don’t need to worry too much.’

But then, a significant problem arose.

Isaiah, who was unusually perceptive about  her matters, inadvertently came close to the truth.

“So now the young masters from other houses have started to bother you?!”

“…!”

Gasp. How, how did he know?

Melody could only tremble and stare at Isaiah with shaking eyes.

“I knew it! Who is it? Huh? I’ll go right now and just—”

“You can’t hit them!”

Melody quickly shouted out. Fortunately, Isaiah nodded as if it were obvious.

“I know, I wanted to give you a catalog in your hand. That would be more effective than my fists.”

“….”

It seemed he remembered what Melody had said before.

That she didn’t want to rely on someone else to defend herself.

But Melody felt helpless to do anything about this particular situation.

“It’s just… an unavoidable situation.”

“There’s no such thing. Which family is it?!”

Isaiah pressed for an answer, but Melody shook her head, indicating she didn’t know.

“Have you become so famous that unknown people are harassing you?”

“No, no, that’s not it. It’s Lady Loretta who’s famous.”

“There’s someone who goes out of their way to harass you even though you’re not famous?”

“It wasn’t on purpose. We just happened to meet.”

Perhaps because the conversation had started, Melody began to spill stories she hadn’t told anyone.

“By chance? Where?”

“At an art gallery.”

“Ah, the place you went with the Duke last time?”

“…Yes.”

Melody’s face twisted a bit, recalling a painful memory.

“Don’t keep it all bottled up. Little Mel.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Melody leaned on Isaiah’s hand for a moment and closed her eyes, remembering the day she first went to the art gallery with the Duke.

She was incredibly happy that day.

The  paintings by famous artists were full of fascinating colors and landscapes she had never seen before, captivating her heart completely.

She was truly moved.

The Duke, pleased by her interest, told her to pick any painting she liked.

Although the Duke said she could choose several, Melody decided on just one.

“Can I look around a bit more?”

“As much as you like.”

While he and Loretta took a break, Melody freely wandered the exhibition hall, maintaining a quiet and elegant demeanor according to the etiquette she had recently learned.

She felt it was necessary to navigate such places adeptly to live alongside Loretta.

During her exploration, Melody fatefully encountered a certain painting.

It was a landscape.

A field blooming with yellow spring flowers…

“This exhibition is a failure too.”

That’s when she heard an unfamiliar voice.

Turning around, she saw a boy she hadn’t met before, arms crossed, looking at her with disdain as if his favorite outfit had been spoiled.

“To catch the eye of a slave trader, how undignified.”

He lifted his chin and ordered the servant standing by his side.

“Prepare the carriage. Let’s hurry before this frivolity spreads.”

The boy glared at Melody until the end, then abruptly turned and left the room.

Melody watched his retreating figure and suddenly had a realization.

What would happen if it became known among the nobles that this beautiful painting hung in a ‘slave trader’s’ room?

“…….”

No one would want to keep the painter’s work close. They would be mocked for sharing the same taste as a mere slave trader.

It wasn’t possible to fault the actions of such nobles.

“It’s just…… because I am of such a lowly status.”

Perhaps things would have been a bit better if she hadn’t been the daughter of a criminal.

After that day, Melody became much more cautious.

She couldn’t even go outside wearing noticeably beautiful clothes, fearing that wearing clothes she had bought might lead to a bad reputation for the clothing store.

“……I’m okay, Isaiah.”

Melody emerged from her reverie, opened her eyes, and looked at him. Somehow, Isaiah’s expression of injustice was amusing.

“You know, Isaiah, what kind of life I had before I came here.”

“Well, yes, but.”

“I, recently, ate a very big piece of meat?”

“…….”

“And I received a lot of ink of a special color.”

“You, really.”

“And the hat I’m wearing now was made for me by Mrs. Higgins. Isn’t it pretty?”

Of course, Melody would be pretty and cute no matter what, so Isaiah naturally nodded his head.

“See, I’m doing really well.”

Isaiah knew that Melody was being treated preciously at the ducal house.

Her bragging like this was just a part of the kindness they showed her, and in reality, she was receiving even more warmth.

Melody’s life was certainly better than it had been in the past.

Yet, why did her heart still hurt like this?

“Uh.”

At Isaiah’s sigh, Melody responded with a sense of sorrow.

“It seems like you’re more upset than I am.”

Melody actually wanted to confide in the Duke or Mrs. Higgins, but somehow, she couldn’t bring herself to speak in front of them.

“What if my sadness has transferred to Isaiah?”

“That’s not possible.”

Isaiah placed Melody’s hand, warmed by her own warmth, atop the white hat.

“Anyway, if Mel’s heart feels a bit lighter, then I’m glad.”

“Somehow, I end up telling Isaiah all sorts of things…”

“Well, listening to Mel’s complaints has been part of my daily routine since a long time ago.”

“Are you saying I complained so often it became part of your routine?”

“It was a relief when you just talked. Do you know how crazy I felt when you would cry and shut your mouth tight?”

Back then, he would call out the names of all the kids in the neighborhood in front of a crying Melody, asking, “This kid? Or that one? Who exactly bullied you?” until Melody nodded.

“Umm… sorry.”

“But now, you’ve grown up enough to talk without crying. That’s commendable.”

He lightly tapped on the hat he had placed on her head.

“And Isaiah has grown up enough not to rush off to hit someone at the slightest provocation.”

Melody, undeterred, reached out towards his head, but somehow couldn’t quite reach, ending up tapping near his ear with her fingertips.

Did it look like she was struggling? Isaiah chuckled.

“How come you haven’t grown at all over time? Sometimes I wonder if you’re not a doll.”

“It’s not that I haven’t grown. It’s Isaiah who’s grown weirdly fast.”

Melody slightly lifted her toes, wanting to appear taller out of some desire.

Isaiah began to laugh even more, finding her effort amusing.

“Ahahaha, oh Mel, you’re too cute!”

“Are you going to keep teasing me?!”

“Ah, really.”

Unable to hold back, he firmly grasped Melody’s cheeks with both hands.

“Mel, will you become my family?”

“…Fa, family?”

That was such an absurd thing to say that Melody looked at Isaiah with wide eyes, bewildered.

“That’s right.”

He explained with a broad smile.

“I’ll become a knight, so you’ll be a knight’s family. How about it? Cool, isn’t it?! No one will be able to bully you. Behind you will stand the greatest knight, Isaiah Mullern!”

“Um, the greatest knight?”

“Gasp, how can you point that out! My fragile heart is going to break!”

He hastily clasped his chest with both hands, making a sorrowful face.

“I really will become one, so… just wait a little.”

He wiped away his playful expression and looked at Melody seriously.

“I’ll become a knight quickly, so that no one can ever bully you again.”

“Thank you, Isaiah. But…”

Melody was overjoyed by his willingness to solve her problems together.

“…I don’t think that’s going to work.”

Of course, Melody couldn’t accept that.